Rangers Academy Notebook: Marcellus to ink national letter of intent at Academy

Joshua Marcellus will make history for the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex, Presented by Toyota, tomorrow, Saturday, November 9 at 10:00 a.m.

The Sachse High School senior will become the first Rangers Academy athlete to sign his National Letter of Intent at the facility. Activities will take place in the classrooms upstairs in the Globe Life Training Center, with Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun also expected to be in attendance for the special day.

“It’s obviously an incredibly special day for Josh, but it is also a major milestone for our program,” Texas Rangers Director, Youth Academy & Youth baseball/Softball Programs Juan Leonel Garciga said. “Having a player like Josh sign his letter of intent in the fall is a testament to his hard work, as well as the dedication of our staff and coaches who spend countless hours working with our athletes and helping to put them in the best possible position to succeed.

“He is the first Rangers Academy athlete to take part in the league wide MLB Youth Academy Signing Day, and we hope that this trend continues in the future with even more players next year,” Garciga added.

Marcellus embarked on his journey at the Academy in the summer of 2018, when he heeded the advice of one of his coaches to check out the facility. Soon, he was playing in the Rangers Academy RBI league, eventually earning a spot on the 2018 Rangers Youth Academy RBI All-Star team competing in the RBI Southwest Regionals in Austin.

In 2019, the outfielder was one of 64 elite high school players selected to participate in the MLB/USA Breakthrough Series event at the MLB Compton Youth Academy in June. He was named to the Rangers Academy Team participating in the All-Star Commissioner’s Cup Tournament, traveling to Cleveland, Ohio, in in July. And he once again made the Rangers Youth Academy RBI All-Star team.

"My time at the Academy has helped me to become a better person and baseball player," Marcellus said. That’s part of why he chose the facility to host his signing day event. "The Academy has provided a lot for me through my development and has helped me get to where I am today."

Saturday is “Youth Academy Signing Day” across the MLB Youth Academy Network, featuring high school seniors from several MLB Youth Academies who plan to sign their National Letter of Intent to play collegiate baseball and softball during the early signing period.

Marcellus is looking forward to being part of it. "It means the world. I am very excited to enter this chapter of my life," Marcellus said.

Fall RBI

The fall RBI season is underway, with the Academy’s fall RBI league hosting eight softball teams.

A schedule is below. Dates are subject to change, and updates can be found by following the Rangers Academy on Twitter at @RangersYA.

City of Dallas Parks and Recreation will run and host the fall RBI baseball league, with support from the Academy in providing uniforms for the athletes.

Fall Programming Underway

Fall programming is underway at the Academy and runs through November 21.

Mondays and Wednesdays feature activities for 18U athletes from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays are designed for 12U athletes and also run from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Registration is available at https://texasrangersya.leagueapps.com/camps.

The Rougned Odor Weight Room is available for 18U athletes to work out after school from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays by registering in advance at rangers.com/academy.