Academy Notebook: Hannah Pacheco's Academy journey
With her senior year of high school underway, Hannah Pacheco is hard at work to achieve her personal goals.
She’s using her time on the fields at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex, presented by Toyota, to hone the softball skills she hopes translate to a college field next season.
“My goal has always been to play at the next level. I feel like I’ve worked so hard that I need to move to the next level,” Pacheco said.
Pacheco’s junior season at Cedar Hill High School ended after just the second district game. So when she learned about the Academy from a friend’s mom who coaches at the facility, she jumped at the chance to join the Academy’s summer RBI League.
“It was fun to come back out here, play with everybody, meet new people,” Pacheco said. “It gave me a lot of opportunities. Obviously, last season was cut short, so I couldn’t work a lot. But when I came here, it helped me progress a lot more. So that helped me get onto the recruiting process for colleges.”
Her bat stood out immediately to Academy Director Juan Leonel Garciga.
“Hannah has quickly become one the biggest power threats at the Academy. She has taken big strides over the summer and is a player we think will have a tremendous impact next summer during the RBI season,” Garciga said. “By then our hope is that a college program will see what we see, and she will have a place to play and continue her education following her senior campaign.”
Since August, Pacheco has been communicating with college coaches about the possibility of continuing to play the game she’s loved since she was nine years old. But she hasn’t lost sight of her goals in the meantime: making District 1 honorable mention and becoming a captain for her Cedar Hill squad.
She’ll be back at the Academy this fall, playing in the fall RBI softball league.
“The Academy gave me a lot of opportunities, especially to work with other people and help me gain more skills that I needed, that I didn’t even know. It helped me get better as a person and as an athlete,” Pacheco said.
Fall RBI Softball Opens Monday
The Academy is set to host a fall season of RBI Softball beginning Monday, Oct. 12.
The schedule is listed below. Scheduling is subject to change, and updates can be found by following the Rangers Youth Academy on social media.
| Date | Time | Home team | Away team | Field |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/12 | 7 p.m. | Aztecas | Wood Ducks | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 10/14 | 7 p.m. | Panthers | Gophers | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 10/15 | 7 p.m. | Crush | Bison | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 10/15 | 7 p.m. | Alliance | Wildcats | Kershaw's Challenge Field |
| 10/19 | 7 p.m. | Gophers | Wood Ducks | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 10/21 | 7 p.m. | Crush | Aztecas | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 10/22 | 7 p.m. | Bison | Alliance | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 10/22 | 7 p.m. | Panthers | Wildcats | Kershaw's Challenge Field |
| 10/26 | 7 p.m. | Wood Ducks | Bison | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 10/28 | 7 p.m. | Alliance | Panthers | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 10/29 | 7 p.m. | Aztecas | Gophers | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 10/29 | 7 p.m. | Wildcats | Crush | Kershaw's Challenge Field |
| 11/2 | 7 p.m. | Wood Ducks | Wildcats | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 11/4 | 7 p.m. | Bison | Aztecas | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 11/5 | 7 p.m. | Alliance | Gophers | Kershaw's Challenge Field |
| 11/9 | 7 p.m. | Alliance | Wood Ducks | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 11/11 | 7 p.m. | Gophers | Crush | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 11/12 | 7 p.m. | Aztecas | Panthers | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 11/12 | 7 p.m. | Wildcats | Bison | Kershaw's Challenge Field |
| 11/16 | 7 p.m. | Wood Ducks | Panthers | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 11/18 | 7 p.m. | Aztecas | Panthers | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 11/19 | 7 p.m. | Bison | Gophers | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 11/19 | 7 p.m. | Crush | Alliance | Kershaw's Challenge Field |
| 11/23 | 7 p.m. | Wood Ducks | Crush | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 12/2 | 7 p.m. | Bison | Panthers | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 12/3 | 7 p.m. | Gophers | Wildcats | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 12/3 | 7 p.m. | Alliance | Aztecas | Kershaw's Challenge Field |
| Date | Time | Game | Field |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/5 | 9 a.m. | Championship Tournament | Kershaw's Challenge Field |
| 12/5 | 9 a.m. | Championship Tournament | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 12/5 | 11 a.m. | Championship Tournament | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 12/5 | 11 a.m. | Championship Tournament | Kershaw's Challenge Field |
| 12/5 | 1 p.m. | Championship Tournament | Kershaw's Challenge Field |
| 12/5 | 1 p.m. | Championship Tournament | Josh Hamilton Field |
| 12/5 | 3 p.m. | Championship Contest | Josh Hamilton Field |
Dallas Parks and Rec will host the fall season of RBI baseball.
Coming Soon: 18U Fall Training Programs
The Academy will host an 18U Softball Training program on Wednesdays from Oct. 14 and through Nov. 4. Programming will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
For 18U baseball players, programming begins Oct. 12 and continues through Nov. 2. Intermediate baseball will be held on Monday evenings, and advanced baseball on Tuesday evenings.
Registration is available at texasrangersya.leagueapps.com.
12U Fall Training Program Underway
The Academy’s 12U Fall Training program is now underway and runs through Oct. 29.
Mondays are geared towards advanced baseball, Tuesdays focus on intermediate baseball, Wednesdays are devoted to 12U and 9U softball, while Thursdays are tailored for 9U advanced and intermediate baseball.
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.