Academy Notebook: Holiday celebration at the Academy; Top moments of 2021

On Wednesday night, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy hosted its fourth annual holiday party, sponsored by Neil and Amy Liebman. More than 300 kids from around West Dallas attended the event on Johnny Oates Field.

The entire Texas Rangers coaching staff joined in on the fun, helping to pass out toys and spread some holiday cheer. Manager Chris Woodward and newly hired coaches Donnie Ecker and Tim Hyers were among those at the event.

Each kid received multiple gifts tailored to their age group that included a variety of toys and games. And, for the first time, everyone also received a piece of baseball or softball equipment to get them ready for next season.

“It’s awesome to see the kids smile and see the energy around the park,” said Texas Rangers hitting coach Tim Hyers. “Handing out a few gifts, seeing the [coaches] and their smiles— it’s a wonderful night.”

Families made their way around the ballpark stopping for photo ops with various holiday characters and a visit to the big man himself, Santa Claus. Guests received free meals from Golden Chick, watched movies while doing art and crafts, and drank warm mugs of hot chocolate.

Manager Chris Woodard is no stranger to the Texas Ranger Youth Academy. During his tenure with the team, he has stressed the importance of using his platform to give back and serve the community. The holiday event at the Youth Academy was the perfect opportunity for his entire coaching staff to come together and make a difference.

“When you meet Chris Woodward, and you see this entire staff out here tonight, it makes me feel really good about the people I’m working with," said Texas Rangers offensive coordinator & bench coach Donnie Ecker. "We’re with these people all the time. I’m with them more than my family, so it’s good to know the type of hearts they have."

“This is such a special time, for kids especially it’s a magical time," said Karin Morris, senior vice president of community impact & executive director of the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation. "Being able to help families who may not be able to make ends meet this time of year, if we can help give a gift, or make them have that special memory, or take their first picture with Santa Claus— it’s fun for us to be able to do that."

This week’s holiday party allowed every level of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club to work alongside one another and impact DFW families in need. Next year, the Liebman’s and the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation plan to continue this Youth Academy tradition that brings so much joy to the community.

Top Moments of 2021

The Texas Rangers Youth Academy had a year chock-full of unforgettable memories. With so many firsts, the return of tournaments and events, new and familiar faces, it’s hard to pick just a few standout moments that defined the year.

Youth Academy coaches and staff reflected on the past 12 months, deliberated, and narrowed it down to the Top 15 Moments of 2021, which feature some truly incredible feats from the next generation of baseball and softball superstars.

Below you will find a collection of photos that highlight the Top 15 Moments from this year. To see more photos of the Youth Academy’s top moments, visit rangers.com/academy.

Team USA and Team Mexico Softball host clinics for Youth Academy athletes

Leading up to the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, both Team USA and Team Mexico made their way to Dallas to utilize the state-of-the-art training facilities at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy. While both teams were in town, players and coaches offered specialized training clinics to the Youth Academy’s top softball players.

Texas Ranges host first annual Black History Month Jamboree

In honor of Black History Month, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy hosted the inaugural Black History Month Jamboree and Black History Month Camp presented by Nike. The tournament saw high school teams from Lincoln, Madison, Wilmer-Hutchins, Adamson, Carter and South Oak Cliff compete in the full-day event on Johnny Oates Field.

Ximena Zamarron selected for Team Mexico Junior National Softball team

Texas Rangers Youth Academy athlete Ximena Zamarron completed multiple rounds of intense tryouts before earning her place on Team Mexico’s Junior National Softball Team. This December, Zamarron and Mexico’s Junior National Team took silver in the PanAmerican Junior Games in Barranquilla, Colombia, and finished 4th at the World Cup in Peru.

Ximena Zamarron selected for Team Mexico Junior National Softball team

Texas Rangers Youth Academy athlete Ximena Zamarron completed multiple rounds of intense tryouts before earning her place on Team Mexico’s Junior National Softball Team. This December, Zamarron and Mexico’s Junior National Team took silver in the PanAmerican Junior Games in Barranquilla, Colombia, and finished fourth at the World Cup in Peru.

Texas Rangers Youth Academy participates in Kansas City Negro League experience

Over Labor Day weekend, 15 Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes participated in the first-of-its-kind trip that involved an exclusive tour of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, a friendly game versus the Kansas City Royals Urban Youth Academy, and tickets to the Royals, White Sox matchup at Kauffman Stadium.

Former Youth Academy Athletes become coaches

For the first time since opening the Texas Rangers Youth Academy, two former athletes, Giselle Garcia and Anthony Castaneda returned to the Academy as coaches. Garcia was the first player named to the Academy coaching staff and Castaneda returned as an Up2Us Sports coach.

Hannah Pacheco hits go-ahead home run in RBI Southwest Regional Championship Game

In the Championship Game, versus Astros RBI, the Rangers rallied back from a 10-2 deficit in the fourth inning. The final hit of the inning went to Hannah Pacheco, who launched the ball over the fence for a two-run homer to reclaim the lead. Late last year, Pacheco tragically lost her father to COIVD-19. Through this time, she's relied on the support of her Rangers Youth Academy coaches and teammates, helping her prepare for moments like this.

Texas Rangers Softball wins Jennie Finch Classic

The Texas Rangers Youth Academy 17U softball All-Star team traveled to Oklahoma City in September, where they captured the first-ever tournament win in Rangers Youth Academy history.

Six Academy Athletes invited to participate in USA Baseball National Team Identification Series

Several Rangers Youth Academy athletes were invited to attend the USA Baseball National Team Identification Series (NTIS) at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Athletes representing the Rangers Youth Academy included Amaad Garret, pictured here diving for a fly ball, David Hogg, Aden Howard, Romel Garcia, Trace Spann and Ben Stec.

Chris Marcellus becomes Texas Rangers Youth Academy’s first DI Baseball signee

Rangers RBI All-Star catcher Chris Marcellus became the first Youth Academy baseball player to sign with a Division I school when he announced his decision to attend Grambling State University in 2022.

Maddox Johnson advances to Jr. Home Run Derby Finals at the World Series

After reigning supreme through two rounds of local and regional competition, record-setting Youth Academy athlete Maddox Johnson advanced to the final round of the 2021 Jr. Home Run Debry at Truist Park in Atlanta, where he finished as the second-best 12U slugger in the U.S.

Texas Rangers Youth Academy hosts MLB Develops Girls Baseball Breakthrough Series

The Texas Rangers Youth Academy played host to the third annual Girls Baseball Breakthrough Series giving the top 32 female baseball players from around the U.S. an opportunity to train with MLB and MiLB Coaches, members of the USA Baseball Women’s National Team and former Major Leaguers.

Three Youth Academy Softball stars invited to MLB Develops, USA Softball Breakthrough Series

Ximena Zamarron, Tamya Waiters and Italia Ortiz were selected to attend the invitation-only Breakthrough Series in Vero Beach. The program focused on developing players on and off the field, giving them a unique opportunity to work with U.S. Olympians, former National Team members and coaches during the weekend-long event.

Academy signing day at Globe Life Field

Nearly a dozen Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes signed their National Letters of Intent to play college baseball and softball this year. Student-athletes recognized include Ariana Ortiz, Hannah Pacheco, Mackenzie Amaya, Nick Mooney, Kevin Daniel Cox, Dylan Byrd, Matthew De Leon, James Martinez, Adrian Vargas, Dodge Suprun and Christian Jarmon.

Chris Marcellus invited to MLB Develops, USA Baseball Breakthrough Series

Chris Marcellus was invited to attend the MLB Develops and USA Baseball Breakthrough series. The top 60 ballplayers from across the country gathered at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach to learn from some of the sport’s best athletes.

Rangers Youth Academy hosts RBI Southwest Regionals for the first time

The Texas Rangers Youth Academy hosted the 2021 MLB RBI Southwest Regional Tournament in July, marking the first RBI Regional Tournament held at the West Dallas facility. All-Star teams from Austin, Houston, and New Orleans competed alongside Rangers RBI for a chance to win the title of MLB RBI Southwest Regional Champion. Rangers RBI 15U Baseball finished the weekend in third-place, Rangers RBI 18U Baseball finished third, and Rangers RBI 18U Softball competed in the championship game, settling for a second-place finish.

Special thank you to photographers Kelly Gavin and Ben Ludeman and videographers Dani Wilkerson and Amanda Kent for capturing special moments like these all year long.