University of California Athletics

Freshman Feature: Q&A with Breana Kostreba (January 19, 2012)

2012 Quick Hits:

• Named an All-Pac-12 honorable mention and to the All-Freshman Team
• Started as a freshman, either in right or as DP
• Consistently hitting above .300
• Lots of power packed into a small frame, slugging .667

Berkeley Regional (2012):

• Played four games in right field, knocking in four RBI, slugging .455

High School:

• Finished her prep career with a .580 batting average and 47 homers across four years, which ties her for fourth place on the California High School Maxpreps all-time list
• As a senior in 2011, she tied for 1st place on the Maxpreps California list with 15 HR, was named the Female Athlete of the Year by the Santa Cruz Sentinel and was named the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Most Valuable Player after leading her squad to the SCCAL Championship
• Additionally as a senior, she was an All-Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League selection, named by Cal-Hi Sports to the Overall All-State Softball First Team and named to the ESPN RISE All-American and the All-California Team
• Following her junior year, in which her AHS squad won the league championship, she was an All-League Selection, named by Cal-Hi Sports to the Overall All-State Softball Second Team, the Medium School All-State Softball First Team and the Underclass All-State Softball First Team
• In 2009, the Santa Cruz Sentinel lauded her as the Santa Cruz County Softball Player of the Year and landed on the Cal-Hi Sports' All-State Softball Second Team and Underclass All-State Softball First Team
• As a freshman on the varsity squad in 2008, she led Aptos High to the SCCAL League title and was named the league's player of the year and to the all-league team
• Participant in the University of California Top Four Percent Academic Admittance Policy and was an AP Scholar with Distinction Award

Club Ball:

• Starting third baseman on nationally ranked Sorcerer 18 Gold Mumma from 2007-11
• Won the ASA 18 Gold National Champion in 2009
• Invited to try out for the Junior National Team in June 2010
• Led her squad to the 2008 Louisville/TPS Independence Day Tournament Championship in Boulder, Colo.
• Fresno Force Classic 14U Champions in 2006

Personal:

• Mechanical engineering major
• Parents are Brian and Lucy Kostreba
• Dreamed of being a CIA agent as a child
• The best piece of advice she received was to stop pitching; the worst piece of advice was that she should be a cheerleader

Award-Winning Scientist Coming Through: As if excelling in the classroom and on the softball field wasn't enough, Breana was also involved in the Aptos High School Robotic Club. The club won the 2011 International Mate ROV, an underwater robotics competition, in Houston after placing third in 2010

A Strong Connection to 2002: Growing up in Santa Cruz County, Breana and teammate Nikki Owens spent time training at Santa Cruz Strength, a weight lifting and conditioning gym owned by none other than former Golden Bear Jocelyn Forest. In 2002, Forest led the Golden Bears to their first-ever NCAA Championship.

I Wear My Number Because: I chose No. 25 because Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds were my favorites when I was younger.