Academy Notebook: A year in review part 2

Texas Rangers Youth Academy hosts MLB RBI Southwest Regional Tournament

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.

Three champions were crowned over the weekend-long event, with NOLA YA 15U Baseball, Astros 18U Softball and Austin 18U Baseball advancing to the MLB RBI World Series in Vero Beach.

Rangers RBI 15U Baseball finished the weekend 1-3 in third-place, Rangers RBI 18U Baseball finished third with a 2-2 record and Rangers RBI 18U Softball competed in the championship game, settling for a second-place finish and a 3-2 record.

Texas Rangers Youth Academy participates in Kansas City Negro Leagues experience

Over Labor Day weekend, 15 Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes participated in the first Negro Leagues Experience, presented by Comerica Bank.

The team spent time exploring history at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, where president Bob Kendrick gave an exclusive tour, sharing stories from the past and highlighting the importance behind baseball’s Negro Leagues.

The following day, the Texas Rangers 17U baseball team faced the Kansas City Royals Urban Youth Academy in a friendly game where the Rangers fell short by a final score of 8-7. To wrap up the trip, the team attended the Royals, White Sox game on Saturday night.

All the athletes shared unforgettable memories over the weekend. For some, their first trip on an airplane, their first time out of state, the best BBQ they’ve had, gut-busting laughs, strong plays on the diamond and a journey through history.

Texas Rangers Softball wins Jennie Finch Classic

In September, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy sent its 17U All-Star softball team to Oklahoma City to compete in the Jennie Finch Classic.

Hosted by one of softball’s greatest former pitchers, five teams from around the country gathered at the USA Softball Hall Fame Complex to participate in the three-day tournament. The Rangers Youth Academy competed alongside NOLA YA, Houston YA, Compton YA and Phillies YA, finishing the weekend 3-1 while capturing their first-ever Jennie Finch Classic championship win.

In a back-and-forth final game, the Rangers defeated Houston, 9-8, in seven innings to claim the title of 2021 Jennie Finch Classic Champions.

Youth Academy Award winners

Not only did the Texas Rangers Youth Academy have a stellar year on the field, but several student-athletes made an impact off the field and in the classroom, too.

Rangers RBI scholarship winners Braylen Jones and Dylan Bird each collected a $5,000 scholarship for their excellence on the field this summer and their impact as teammates.

Charity Vernon was selected as one of 12 recipients for MLB’s “RBI for RBI” scholarship program that rewards Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) alumni who have demonstrated academic success and positive community involvement, racking up $20,000 in total funds.

A new class of nine Whataburger Rising Stars was chosen for their exceptional contributions during the Rangers RBI season, in the areas of sportsmanship, on-field performance, academic excellence and displays of perseverance and dedication.

Andrew Reece won the Texas Rangers Youth Academy’s top honors— 2021 Texas Rangers Youth of the Year, presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. Reece was recognized in a pre-game ceremony at Globe Life Field on Aug. 28, received a $500 gift card to Academy Sports + Outdoors and was invited on an all-expenses-paid trip to Game 4 of the World Series in Atlanta.

And, most recently, Rangers RBI softball players Kaila Torres, Natalia Escalante and Andrea Estrada each won $1,000 to put toward their college education through the Positive Coaching Alliance Triple-Impact Competitor Scholarship.

Maddox Johnson competes in Jr. Home Run Derby Finals

Texas Rangers Youth Academy athlete Maddox Johnson successfully advanced through two rounds of competition to reach the Jr. Home Run Derby Finals at the MLB World Series in Trust Park.

In his first plate appearance at the finals, Johnson hit nine home runs beyond the fence, easily securing his spot to compete for the championship title. Also advancing was New England Regional Champ Lorenzo Flores, who totaled eight home runs in phase one of the competition.

Batting first in the finals, Flores set the tone with a whopping 12 home runs. Despite a valiant effort from Johnson, he fell short, managing to hit eight home runs.

Although Maddox didn’t take home the championship, the unforgettable memories from his weekend at the World Series will always be a reminder of his experience at the Jr. Home Run Derby National Championship.

Beyond Baseball and Softball

The Texas Rangers Youth Academy and non-profit partner Buckner International teamed up all year long to impact West Dallas families off the field.

Free courses were offered throughout the year for kids and adults in both English and Spanish, including the Comerica Bank Money Sense Workshop, classroom tutoring sessions and creative arts camp.

In March, the Youth Academy held an equipment distribution event for more than 400 area athletes to collect free gear for the upcoming season and beyond. In July, the Youth Academy, Buckner and Comerica partnered to host a Back-to-School Distribution event for West Dallas students. And in November, the Youth Academy, Buckner and Kroger teamed up to distribute hundreds of Thanksgiving turkeys, pies and sides to feed families for the holiday.

Softball and Baseball training

The Texas Rangers Youth Academy has welcomed hundreds of athletes participating in year-round baseball and softball training sessions. In one of its biggest years yet, the Youth Academy registered 2,313 athletes across the four sessions.

Participants ages 7-18 were designated into training groups for specialized coaching based on age and skill level, ranging from beginner to advanced. Athletes learned from the Academy’s roster of hand-selected coaches, many of whom have seen success on the baseball diamond, from playing on Division I teams in college to Major League tryouts.

Athletes had the opportunity to expand on a range of skills from the basics like hitting, throwing, and base-running to more advanced training like strike zone recognition and turning double plays.

Training will resume in 2022, with the winter session beginning in January.