CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — One former Coastal Bend softball player is still keeping her love for the sport of baseball alive by earning a spot on the Women's National Baseball Team roster.
Valerie Perez was a star softball player for Calallen and the Islanders. She eventually became a Corpus Christi firefighter but never gave up on her love for playing baseball just like her brothers.
She has continued to train and practice, which eventually earned her a spot on the team, where she will soon compete against the best women baseball players in the world.
"My hope in this as well as being the only one from Texas, is to bring some recognition to women's baseball," she said. "I know there's a lot of girls out there that are playing baseball with the guys from T ball even through high school and my teammates play in college with the guys."
Perez said that there are times when she can actually put her baseball skills to work while fighting fires.
"Using sledge hammers and halcyons and axes is pretty similar in certain situations to a swing," she said.
Corpus Christi Fire Department Cpt. Brandon Lott said that Perez has the full support of her fellow firefighters. He played catch with her behind the fire station between calls.
"Great paramedic, great fire, fighter, and then baseball. She's been training and practicing hard to get this position and we're very proud of her," he said.
Team USA has its first exhibition game coming up in Rockford Illinois on Aug 3. That was the home field for the team pictured in the movie, "A League of Their Own." Perez said that she's excited to put her skills to the test. We asked her if there was any crying in baseball, which was something Tom Hank's character in the movie said wasn't allowed.
"There are a lot of emotions in baseball channeling that and picking when to show them is part of the game," she said.
Her passion and love for the game are about to pay off as she will soon be starring in her own field of dreams.
Once the exhibition games in Illinois and Wisconsin wrap up, Perez and her teammates will head to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, for the Women's Baseball World Cup opening round.