Academy notebook

As high school athletes from across the country signed on the dotted line Wednesday, a regular participant at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex, Presented by Toyota, joined in National Signing Day. 
 
Mina Schwartz committed to play for Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kansas. The 17-year-old represented the Rangers as part of the Academy RBI All-Star softball team that traveled to Austin for the RBI Southwest Regionals in July and was a member of the Academy's Jennie Finch Classic team that traveled to Washington D.C. as part of the 2018 All-Star Game festivities. 
 
Schwartz, who attends Irving High School, has participated in Academy programming since fall 2017.
 
Rangers Academy baseball participant Adan Galvan signed his letter of intent Wednesday, January 30, committing to play for Cedar Valley College. Galvan has participated in fall and winter programming at the Academy and attended the Buck O'Neil Clinic in November. He attends North Dallas High School. 
  
Coming Here First
 
On Monday, it was announced the Academy and Globe Life Park in Arlington will host the first ever MLB Grit event. The tournament will run from Thursday, March 7 through Sunday, March 10.
 
And Academy participant Ximena Zamarron will play in the inaugural event. 
 
The 15-year-old Dallas native also represented the Academy at the Jennie Finch Classic in Washington D.C. as part of the 2018 All-Star Game festivities in July and traveled to Austin as part of the Academy's RBI All-Star team in the RBI Southwest Regional later that month. The second baseman also traveled to Vero Beach for the Elite Development Invitational in July. 
 
MLB Grit is a new high school baseball tournament for young women ages 18 and younger from across the United States. The tournament joins the returning Trailblazer Series and Girls Breakthrough Series as part of Major League Baseball's third consecutive year of creating programming designed to grow the area of girls in baseball. 
 
The 2019 Schedule of Youth/Amateur Events by MLB was announced Monday by the league. Additional details on the MLB Grit event at Globe Life Park and the Rangers Youth Academy will be announced in the coming weeks.  
 
Softball is Back 
 
Pinkston High School softball opened its second season of playing home games at the Academy against H. Grady Spruce High School on Hamilton Field on Wednesday.
 
The facility will also support some scheduling for David W. Carter High School and Pinkston Middle School, in addition to hosting the Dallas ISD Middle School Softball Tournament in May. 
 
Below is the current schedule of softball games at the Academy. Scheduling is subject to change.
 
2019 Academy High School Softball Schedule
Date | Home | Away | Field | Time
Tuesday, February 19, 2019 | Pinkston | South Oak Cliff | Hamilton | 5:30 p.m.
Friday, February 22, 2019 | Pinkston | Madison | Hamilton | 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019 | Pinkston | Carter | Hamilton | 5:00 p.m.
Friday, March 1, 2019 | Pinkston | Hillcrest | Hamilton | 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 5, 2019 | Pinkston | Lincoln | Hamilton | 5:00 p.m.
Friday, March 8, 2019 | Pinkston | Roosevelt | Hamilton | 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 21, 2019 | Pinkston | Wilmer Hutchins | Hamilton | 5:00 p.m.
Monday, March 25, 2019 | Pinkston Middle | Edison | Hamilton | 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 | Pinkston | Hillcrest | Hamiltotn | 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 9, 2019 | Pinkston | Roosevelt | Hamilton | 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 18, 2019 | Pinkston | North Dallas   Hamilton   5:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 4, 2019 | DISD Middle School Softball Tournament | Hamilton & Kershaw | 1:00 p.m.
 
More High School Baseball at Academy this Season
 
After practicing and playing their home games at the Academy in 2018, Pinkston High School once again calls the facility home in 2019. The Academy also supports scheduling for David W. Carter High School, Sunset High School, and other Dallas ISD games. 
 
Stacey Segal, Assistant Director of Athletics for Dallas ISD, schedules baseball and softball games for the district and said the Academy has been especially vital for this season.
 
"The year has been particularly challenging due to the number of fields we have lost due to bond improvements. Dallas ISD is currently renovating two of our high school baseball fields with lights and facilities have been hard to come by. Additionally, our three field softball complex went under construction. After moving 111 games, the Rangers Youth Academy has been a wonderful partner," Segal said.
 
The schedule of baseball games at the Academy is below. Scheduling is subject to change.
 
2019 Academy High School Baseball Schedule
Date | Home | Away | Field | Time
Saturday, February 9, 2019 | Pinkston | Sunset | Oates | 7:00 p.m.
Friday, February 15, 2019 | Carter | Trinity Christian | Oates | 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 16, 2019 | Sunset JV | Wilmer Hutchins JV | Oates | 10:00 a.m.
Saturday, February 16, 2019 | Sunset Varsity | Wilmer Hutchins Varsity | Oates | 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 18, 2019 | Pinkston | Western Hills | Oates | 6:30 p.m.
Friday, February 22, 2019 | Carter | Trinity Christian | Field of Dreams | 4:00 p.m.
Friday, February 22, 2019 | Pinkston | Samuell | Oates | 6:00 p.m.
Monday, February 25, 2019 | Carter | South Oak Cliff | Field of Dreams | 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019 | Sunset JV | Thomas Jefferson JV | Field of Dreams | 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019 | Sunset Varsity | Thomas Jefferson Varsity | Field of Dreams | 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019 | Pinkston | TX Keller | Oates | 5:30 p.m.
Monday, March 4, 2019 | Sunset JV | North Dallas JV | Oates | 3:30 p.m.
Monday, March 4, 2019 | Sunset Varsity | North Dallas Varsity | Oates | 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 5, 2019 | Pinkston   Waxahachie Life | Oates | 5:30 p.m.
Monday, March 11, 2019 | Sunset JV | Glen Rose JV | Oates | 11:00 a.m.
Monday, March 11, 2019 | Sunset Varsity | Glen Rose Varsity | Oates | 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 12, 2019 | Pinkston | Carter | Oates | 6:30 p.m.
Friday, March 15, 2019 | Pinkston | Hillcrest | Oates | 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 16, 2019 | North Dallas | Carter | Oates | 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019 | Sunset | South Oak Cliff | Oates | 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019 | Pinkston | Lincoln | Oates | 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 21, 2019 | Pinkston | Roosevelt | Oates | 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 | Sunset | Samuell | Oates | 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 | Pinkston Middle | Zan Holmes | Oates | 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 29, 2019 | Sunset JV | Spruce JV | Field of Dreams | 3:30 p.m.
Friday, March 29, 2019 | Sunset Varsity | Spruce Varsity | Field of Dreams | 5:30 p.m.
Friday, March 29, 2019 | Pinkston JV | Wilmer Hitchins JV | Oates | 3:30 p.m.
Friday, March 29, 2019 | Pinkston Varsity | Wilmer Hutchins Varsity | Oates | 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 | Pinkston | North Dallas Varsity | Oates | 5:30 p.m.
Friday, April 5, 2019 | Sunset JV | Kimball JV | Oates | 3:30 p.m.
Friday, April 5, 2019 | Sunset Varsity | Kimball Varsity | Oates | 5:30 p.m.
Friday, April 5, 2019 | North Dallas JV | Wilmer Hitchins JV   Field of Dreams | 4:00 p.m.
Friday, April 5, 2019 | North Dallas Varsity | Wilmer Hutchins Varsity | Field of Dreams | 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 6, 2019 | Sunset | Western Hills | Oates | 11:00 a.m.
Friday, April 12, 2019 | Sunset JV | Seagoville JV | Oates | 3:30 p.m.
Friday, April 12, 2019 | Sunset Varsity | Seagoville Varsity | Oates | 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019 | North Dallas | Hillcrest | Oates | 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019 | Pinkston | Roosevelt | Oates | 6:00 p.m.
Friday, April 19, 2019 | Pinkston Middle | Greine | Oates | 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 23, 2019 | North Dallas | Roosevelt | Oates | 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 25, 2019 | Roosevelt | Carter | Oates | 6:00 p.m.
Friday, April 26, 2019 | Pinkston | North Dallas Varsity | Oates | 5:30 p.m.
Friday, April 26, 2019 | Roosevelt | Carter | Field of Dreams | 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019 | Sunset JV | Adamson JV | Oates | 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019 | Sunset Varsity | Adamson V | Oates | 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019 | Quintanilla Middle | Greiner | Field of Dreams | 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 4, 2019 | DISD Middle School Baseball Championship | Oates | 8:00 a.m.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019 | DISD Middle School Baseball Championship Game | Oates | 6:00 p.m.
 
Camp Time
 
Through the first two weeks of the Winter Academy Training Session, 731 baseball and softball players have participated. 
 
Training is available for baseball and softball players ages 7 through 18 through Thursday, February 28.
 
Camp for the 18U athletes runs on Monday and Wednesday nights from 6:00-8:00 p.m. 
 
On Tuesday and Thursday nights, training will be available to the 12U athletes, also from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
 
Registration is available at https://texasrangersya.leagueapps.com/camps.