tromeros@unm.edu
Fresh off her senior season, former softball catcher Jessica Garcia is getting the chance to play professionally.
On June 18, Garcia received a contract to play for the Akron Racers of the Women’s Pro Softball League. She signed without hesitation, fulfilling her lifelong dream to pursue a professional softball career.
She said practicing with the team feels unreal.
“It really hasn’t hit me yet, but I think once I put on my jersey and hit the field, it’s going to hit me,” Garcia said.
Garcia’s shot at the pros came in part because of her breakout 2012 season in which she shattered several UNM records, including home runs (24), hits (81), RBIs (69), runners thrown out (21), slugging percentage (.917) and total bases (166).
Garcia, who was nominated to the 2012 National Fastpitch Coaches Association third team and 2012 Easton Fastpitch All-American second team, said she’d rather win games than break records.
“You can only break so many records, but if you’re not winning, what’s the point?” Garcia said. “I liked playing for my team, and I did it for the girls around me.”
UNM assistant softball coach Lyndsey Angus said Garcia continued to develop her skills as a catcher and a hitter from her junior year to senior year to become one of the best offensive players in Lobo history.
“Her junior year was extremely good,” Angus said, “She incredibly outplayed her junior season, which just shows how talented she is and how hard she works.”
The 2012 Mountain West Conference Softball All-Conference recipient hit only one home run in her first two seasons at UNM, but Garcia said she turned the corner when she changed her mental approach to hitting.
“I think a lot of it was just confidence going in there, and knowing you can do it,” Garcia said. “It’s more of a mind change and working a lot and doing extra stuff on the side.”
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Angus said that with the move to the pros, Garcia is going to have to be prepared to face some of the top pitchers in the nation, and will have to be able to move on after a tough outing.
“I played in the pro league, and one thing in the pro league is having the ability to let bad games go,” Angus said. “Good pitchers are going to get you out most of the time in the game of softball and baseball.”
Garcia said she hopes to one day be a known commodity in the softball community.
“To do really well and for people to know your name, too, would be awesome,” Garcia said.
