CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The high school softball season might be over but some players are staying busy this summer.
Dozens of players participated in a softball showcase at Evelyn Price Park on Saturday, looking to be recruited as college coaches watched.
“To be able to bring a group of college coaches—D1, D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO coaches—into the Coastal Bend for around 50 of these potential student athletes is huge,” said Jay Aleman, Texas Lightning Fastpitch recruiting director.
Texas Lightning Fastpitch is made up of softball players ages 16-18 years old. They travel to tournaments and compete in showcases like the one on Saturday.
Aleman, who is also the Incarnate Word Academy head softball coach, said the girls usually travel across the state for showcases. With 14 coaches there on Saturday, including one from the University of Texas-San Antonio's Division I softball program, the players showcased their talents in Corpus Christi.
“Be able to work one-on-one with the athletes, and just be able to see how they respond to coaching, how do they respond to failure, what’s their personalities like,” UTSA Assistant Coach Tori Smith said.
Smith said the Corpus Christi area has many talented and hard-working kids. She said her program looks for resiliency and on-field performance—especially after they work hard over the summer.
“After they’ve been tired, traveling, working on their trade is a great opportunity to come out and see what they’ve got, and see what they can do at the next level,” Smith said.
Players displayed different skills in the showcase: pitching, catching and batting. There was also a 60-yard dash—the distance between home plate and first base—followed by a 90-minute game.
Jody Armijo, Our Lady of the Lake University assistant coach, said his team won the NAIA national championship in May. He added that they can build for the future as they find new recruits in the Coastal Bend.
“The girls get the summer off but it’s really just more time for them to get, improve on what we did last year and get better so that we can come back even stronger,” Armijo said.
Aleman said they plan to have another showcase in December and grow the event over time.