RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Sakora “CoCo” Harvell is a standout middle infielder ranked in the Top 25 of the 2023 Extra Elite 100 and is also a standout student with a 4.0 GPA at Sheldon High in Elk Grove, California.
The junior, who goes by the nickname “CoCo” given to her by her grandfather, has been playing softball since she was 5 years old and is following in the “stick and ball” footsteps of her father, Rod Harvell, who was drafted out of high school by the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.
In an interesting coincidence, the softball player will also be L.A.-bound as she committed to the Lions of Loyola Marymount in November.
🚨COMMIT ALERT🚨
Found my future home 🥎📚✨LMU✨parent school to Loyola Law School & Top5th,Elite Nat’l Universities.Thankful to announce my commitment to play D1Softball & get the education of my dreams under leadership of legends @tairiaflowers @mysha_sataraka @Christianconr15 pic.twitter.com/2yYPRmvGSg— Sakora Harvell 2023 (@CocoSakora) November 12, 2021
CoCo, however, has had to deal with something her father and previous generations never would have contemplated: missing playing time because of a global pandemic caused by the coronavirus.
The COVID-related shutdowns robbed Sakora of her Freshman season and, to make it worse, California high school transfer rules effectively made her Sophomore season non-existent as well.
Still, the softball player’s talent was undeniable and her impressive play on the travel ball scene helped CoCo get seen, recruited and committed to her future West Coast Conference school.
“Sakora is over the moon excited to get to play for her high school again,” says her mother, Erika regarding the Sheldon Huskies which went 21-2 last year and was the Delta League champs.
“She’s looking forward to get as many games in as possible,” which on this nice Saturday in Northern California saw the team play three scrimmage games. In her first at-bat of the day, Sakora lead off with a home run.
The 2022 season for the Sacramento high school starts on Tuesday, March 1 and will feature no less than 10 players who are signed or committed to play at the next level including talented seniors such as outfielder Dakota Kennedy (Arizona, #4 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100), infielder D’Auna Johnson (Cal, #21 overall) and utility player Reina Zermeno (San Jose State, #47 overall).
Without high school ball a possibility for her the last two years, Sakora had to shine on the club scene and that’s exactly what she did, competing for the Batbusters 18U – Gomes team coached by Dennis Gomes.
For example, Sakora has played in two tournaments during the Winter/Spring 2021-22 season and helped the team go 7-1 by batting .421 with a .684 slugging percentage.
“Sakora is one of the top players in the 2023 class,” Gomes says. “Offensively, she combines immense power to all fields along with being a strong line drive hitter. CoCo has the ability to battle and succeed deep within different counts and also possesses the innate skill of an excellent base runner with the speed and smarts to steal or take the extra base at any time. Defensively, she has great range and possesses a strong and accurate arm.”
“Overall,” the coach continues, “Sakora possesses the unique ability to carry a team for long stretches. What really separates her is that she is never satisfied with her play and is always pushing to be better and striving for excellence. I am quite confident she will push her future teammates for a starting spot up the middle as a Freshman. And I truly believe Sakora will end up being on my Top 10 player list of all those who have ever played for me, which is a strong list to be a part of!”
For her part, CoCo humbly says that being with the Batbusters has been key to her growth and development, giving her the skills to play at the collegiate level.
“I am fortunate to be with this travel team and with the coaches and this group of girls,” the athlete says. “Head Coach Dennis and Assistant Coach Denny Gomes believed in me from Day 1 as a 14U player… they believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. Next to my Mom, Dad and brother, they are my biggest supporters and I cannot thank them enough.”
The athlete’s mother seconds the notion that the club coaches were hugely important in CoCo’s deveopment on and off the softball fields.
“I wholeheartedly believe that club coaches are some of the most influential people in a player’s life,” Erika begins. “A coach can make or break a player’s confidence, love of the game and even performance to a certain degree so it’s hard to put into words what it means to ‘give your child to someone’ and trust that they will do right by them.”
“I’ve watched Dennis and Denny Gomes be tough on CoCo, boost her up when needed and let her go to figure it out on her own when needed, too. They seem to always get it right with their approach and get the best out of her. The impact that Dennis and Denny have had and continue to have on Sakora is one that I will forever be grateful for.”
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When Sakora is not playing softball, she enjoys spending time with her dog Rocky, spending time with family, riding ATV’s and basically anything that involves “sand and water,” she says.
We asked her to share her thoughts on the recruiting process and why Loyola Marymount… here’s what she had to say:
MY RECRUITING JOURNEY
On September 1 of 2021, I received calls from various D1 schools. Coach Christian Conrad from Loyola Marymount was one of those calls.
I took an unofficial visit in October to LMU with my Mom and Dad and, as a family, we toured the campus, met the team and talked with Head Coach Taria Flowers, Assistant Coach Mysha (Sataraka) and Coach “CC” (Christian Conrad).
We left the visit with some very positive thoughts and went on about life knowing the recruiting journey was just beginning.
In November, there was a Batbusters Showcase clinic in NorCal. I attended the showcase and had a great time. At the end of the showcase, there were about five schools I talked with. Coach Mysha from LMU was there watching and said “Hello” but she did not get in the way of me talking to the other coaches—she was just observing.
After the showcase clinic, I received a text from Coach Flowers asking for my high school transcript. I sent my transcript right back to her and she called within about 10 minutes with an amazing offer!
Coach Flower’s call was totally unexpected and super exciting all at the same time. Just a few days later (after some sleepless nights and talks with my Mom and Dad), I gave Coach Flowers my verbal commitment.
In November, I attended LMU’s camp and got a chance to talk more with Coach CC, who is LMU’s pitching coach, learn about his coaching style and some of the metrics and analysis he incorporates in coaching the pitching staff. I was really impressed with everything Coach CC shared with me.
I also got to meet the athletic trainer and interact more with some of the team and took some awesome pics in the LMU uniform which was a lot of fun!
Playing on the dirt at LMU and taking direction from the coaches, it felt like Loyola Marymount was a place I could call home and see myself working hard and thriving as a student athlete.
So why LMU? Where do I start!
Both the school and the softball coaching staff have amazing reputations.
I have followed Coach Mysha on her impressive softball journey since I played 10U, Coach CC is so knowledgeable and a lot of fun and the opportunity to play for Coach Flowers (an Olympic Gold Medalist who has both played and coached softball at the highest levels), is a dream come true.
From an educational standpoint and as a future law student, there is not a better, more prestigious choice for me. I am going to get an education that will set me up for ultimate success in life.
As for an additional perk…I am a big L.A.-based sports team fan so it was icing on the cake to know I would be near Dodger Stadium and the Lakers. I also love the beach which is less than five miles away from campus!
LMU checks every box and then some for me.
— Sakora “CoCo” Harvell