Erin Lopez was playing first base in a tryout at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex, presented by Toyota, when she received a valuable piece of advice.
¡°Coach Juan told me to look back and look for the base before I get the ball. And usually I do that at the same time, so I¡¯m looking back and forth. But having to look for the base first and then looking for the ball really helped me. Because it gives trust in the other person, she knows where she¡¯s throwing to so she also has my back. That¡¯s really stuck with me,¡± Lopez said of the direction provided by Academy Director and softball coach Juan Leonel Garciga.
For Lopez, building her softball fundamentals is only one aspect of what she¡¯s learning at the Academy.
¡°They gave me an opportunity to play with different girls. Having to meet new people ¨C I¡¯m kind of shy about that, I keep to myself a lot, so it pushed me out of my comfort zone to do that and play with new girls. And learn new things,¡± Lopez said.
The Grand Prairie High School sophomore prepared for her freshman season by playing RBI at the Academy the summer before, but her high school campaign was cut short by the pandemic. Lopez returned to the facility after the hiatus, where the Academy¡¯s RBI softball league enabled her to continue playing with several of her high school teammates. Not to mention the motivation sparked by playing with older athletes.?
¡°When I first started RBI, I was a freshman, so I was also playing with a bunch of high school girls and they kept pushing me,¡± Lopez said.
During that first season of RBI, Lopez rolled her ankle on the base trying to beat out an infield single. She missed the remainder of the season ¨C including opportunities to tryout for special events. But her work ethic remained on display to Garciga.
¡°It was incredible seeing how positive and supportive of her teammates she remained as she worked her way back to being able to play this summer without any lingering effects,¡± Garciga said. ¡°She went on to have a very strong season, playing a key role in the Gophers RBI championship season and making her first RBI All Star team.¡±
While she¡¯s happy to play any position that will get her in a game, being a catcher is what helped Lopez fall in love with the sport.
¡°I remember when I would be catching and I was on the field, and getting a girl out when she was coming home, it was a good feeling. Everybody would cheer you on. That was the number one thing. That¡¯s why I kept playing it,¡± Lopez said.
She¡¯s also gotten used to some of the less glamorous parts of the position.
¡°I get knocked over a lot, but that¡¯s ok. It¡¯s part of the sport, so you¡¯re going to have to grow to adjust to that stuff,¡± Lopez said.
On the field, Lopez wants to be where the action is. Off the field? Not as much.
¡°Only in softball, that¡¯s the thing. Outside of that, I¡¯m like ok, I don¡¯t want attention on me. When it comes to softball, I¡¯m like ¡®yes, I want that,¡¯¡± Lopez said.?
Lopez hopes to take her game to the collegiate level, and she¡¯s working on those goals at the Academy.
¡°I¡¯m really thankful for the experiences they give me,¡± Lopez said. ¡°I feel like without it, I never would have gotten to where I am right now.¡±??
Fall RBI Softball Underway
The fall season of RBI softball kicked off at the Academy on Monday, Oct. 12, and is slated to run through Saturday, Dec. 5.
The complete schedule is listed below. Scheduling is subject to change, and updates can be found by following the Rangers Youth Academy on social media.
Dallas Parks and Rec will host the fall season of RBI baseball.
Fall Training Programs in Full Swing
Baseball and softball players ages 7 through 18 are working on their skills in the Academy¡¯s free Fall Training Program.?
Registration is determined by age, while group placement is evaluated by the Academy¡¯s coaching staff to determine the appropriate skill level for participants.
The daily schedule for activities is listed below.
Programming follows all of MLB¡¯s return to play guidelines with the goal of keeping athletes, coaches, and staff safe and healthy.
Registration is available at texasrangersya.leagueapps.com.
West Dallas Little League
Mercy Street Dallas¡¯s West Dallas Little League opened play Monday, Sept. 21.
Games are being played at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex. Registration is available at mercystreetdallas.org.
Buckner Virtual Programming
Academy athletes are continuing to take part in virtual classes offered by Buckner International¡¯s Family Hope Center at the Rangers MLB Youth Academy. Online classes in both English and Spanish are being offered, while in-person classes will resume at a future date.