Texas Rangers Youth Academy Notebook: Henderson-Lopez and Ledesma Hit the Road
A summer of showcase events is officially underway for athletes from the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex, presented by Toyota.
Melanie Henderson-Lopez (junior, Irving High School) and Erin Ledesma (junior, Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School) headed to the Kansas City Royals Youth Academy yesterday to represent the Rangers in the 2019 Softball Breakthrough Series.
The Breakthrough Series is a showcase style event aiming to provide instruction, mentorship, and access to collegiate softball opportunities for student athletes. It features three days of on- and off-field instruction with U.S. Olympians, former National Team members, and coaches.
Henderson-Lopez traveled to the Compton Youth Academy for the same event last summer.
“I’m excited about going back,” the catcher said. “I was asking all the girls that went last to see who would be there again.”
This year marks the first Breakthrough Series invitation for Ledesma, a shortstop who plays softball for Sunset High School.
“I’m excited to learn new softball techniques from coaches and former softball athletes. I'm also excited to make new relationships with softball girls around the U.S.,” Ledesma said.
Both Henderson and Ledesma represented the Academy around the country in 2018, including traveling to the USA Softball Elite Development Invitational, playing on the Academy’s team in the Jennie Finch Classic during the 2018 All-Star Game festivities, and the Rangers Academy RBI All-Star team at the RBI Southwest Regionals.
More Showcases to Come
Ledesma and Henderson-Lopez aren’t the only Academy athletes who will have their talents on display this summer.
Tatyana Beltran (sophomore, Life Waxahachie) will participate in the inaugural Girls Baseball Breakthrough Series in Vero Beach, Florida from June 15 through 18. The event is a joint effort on behalf of USA Baseball (USAB) and Major League Baseball designed to serve as a platform for players looking to pursue baseball at the next level.
Beltran plays baseball in the Rangers Academy RBI League and in March was selected for the first ever MLB Grit Invitational for high school girls to play baseball.
Ricky Rangel (junior, Duncanville high school) and Joshua Marcellus (junior, Sachse High School) will participate in the Breakthrough Series at the Compton Youth Academy in Compton, California from June 21 through 23.
Destiny Castillo (eighth grade, Reed Middle School), Miranda Lopez (sophomore, Woodrow Wilson High School), and Samantha Rodriguez (junior, Townview High School) were selected for the Elite Development Invitational, which will be held July 12 through 16 in Vero Beach, Florida. EDI is a five-day camp serving as an extended version of the Breakthrough Series. The intense program mirrors the USA Softball Women's National team's training camps.
Colin Moore (eighth grade, Rogers Middle School) and Austin Philips (eighth grade, Young Men’s Leadership Academy) have been invited to participate in the re-branded Hank Aaron Invitational, formerly known as the Elite Development Invitational. The unique amateur development event is a youth-oriented, on-field diversity initiative aiming to help high school-age players from diverse backgrounds to the next levels of the game. It will take place July 21 to 25 in Vero Beach, Florida.
Summer Training Program Coming Soon
The Academy’s Summer Training Program begins Tuesday, June 4. Session A will last from June 4 through June 28, and Session B will run from July 23 through August 16.
Programming is Tuesday through Friday mornings from 9:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
Registration is available at https://texasrangersya.leagueapps.com/camps.
RBI Rolling
The 2019 Texas Rangers Youth Academy RBI Summer League kicked off May 6. The Rangers Academy RBI League fields 10 senior division baseball teams, three junior division baseball teams, and 10 softball teams.
Athletes who participate in the RBI program also have the opportunity to work towards trying out to become Academy RBI All-Stars, traveling to represent the Academy in the RBI Southwest Regional and potentially beyond.
RBI baseball and softball schedules are below. Scheduling is subject to change. Changes will be posted to the @RangersYA Twitter and social media platforms.
Rangers Academy RBI Baseball Junior Division (15U) Schedule
HOME TEAM listed first
TIME
5/25 Chiefs vs. Sounds at Field of Dreams -- 2:30 PM
5/25 Lancaster vs. Sounds at Field of Dreams -- 5:00 PM
5/29 Lancaster vs. Sounds at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
6/1 Sounds vs. Chiefs at Oates Field -- 9:00 AM
6/1 Chiefs vs. Lancaster at Oates Field --11:30 AM
6/5 Sounds vs. Chiefs at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
6/8 Chiefs vs. Lancaster at Field of Dreams -- 2:30 PM
6/8 Sounds vs. Lancaster at Field of Dreams -- 5:00 PM
6/12 Lancaster vs. Chiefs at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
6/15 Chiefs vs. Sounds at Oates Field -- 9:00 AM
6/15 Lancaster vs. Sounds at Oates Field -- 11:30 AM
Rangers Academy RBI Baseball Senior Division (18U) Schedule
HOME TEAM listed first
5/25 Patriots vs. Lancaster at Oates Field -- 9:00 AM
5/25 Vikings vs. Hard Hitters at Oates Field -- 11:30 AM
5/25 Rough Riders vs. Grays at Oates Field -- 2:00 PM
5/25 Cougars vs. Leopards at Oates Field -- 4:30 PM
5/28 Lancaster vs. Cougars at Field of Dreams -- 7:00 PM
5/28 Leopards vs. Patriots at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
5/29 Crawdads vs. Grays at Field of Dreams -- 7:00 PM
5/30 Hard Hitters vs. Eagles at Field of Dreams -- 7:00 PM
5/30 Rough Riders vs. Vikings at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
6/1 Vikings vs. Leopards at Oates Field -- 2:00 PM
6/1 Cougars vs. Hard Hitters at Field of Dreams -- 2:30 PM
6/1 Eagles vs. Grays at Oates Field -- 4:30 PM
6/1 Rough Riders vs Lancaster at Field of Dreams -- 5:00 PM
6/1 Patriots vs. Crawdads at Oates Field -- 6:30 PM
6/3 Rough Riders vs. Patriots at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
6/4 Cougars vs. Leopards at Field of Dreams -- 7:00 PM
6/4 Eagles vs. Lancaster at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
6/5 Crawdads vs. Vikings at Field of Dreams -- 7:00 PM
6/6 Grays vs. Hard Hitters at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
6/8 Vikings vs. Cougars at Oates Field -- 9:00 AM
6/8 Patriots vs. Eagles at Oates Field -- 11:30 AM
6/8 Leopards vs. Grays at Oates Field -- 2:00 PM
6/8 Lancaster vs. Hard Hitters at Oates Field -- 4:30 PM
6/8 Crawdads vs. Rough Riders at Oates Field -- 6:30 PM
6/10 Grays vs. Lancaster at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
6/11 Eagles vs. Leopards at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
6/11 Cougars vs. Patriots at Field of Dreams -- 7:00 PM
6/13 Rough Riders vs. Vikings at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
6/13 Hard Hitters vs. Crawdads at Field of Dreams -- 7:00 PM
6/15 Rough Riders vs. Eagles at Field of Dreams -- 9:00 AM
6/15 Vikings vs. Grays at Field of Dreams -- 11:30 AM
6/15 Leopards vs. Lancaster at Oates Field -- 2:00 PM
6/15 Patriots vs. Hard Hitters at Field of Dreams -- 2:00 PM
6/15 Crawdads vs. Cougars at Oates Field -- 4:30 PM
6/17 Hard Hitters vs. Leopards at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
6/18 Patriots vs. Grays at Field of Dreams -- 7:00 PM
6/18 Eagles vs. Vikings at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
6/20 Cougars vs. Rough Riders at Oates Field -- 7:00 PM
6/20 Lancaster vs. Crawdads at Field of Dreams -- 7:00 PM
6/22 Rough Riders vs. Hard Hitters at Oates Field -- 9:00 AM
6/22 Vikings vs. Lancaster at Oates Field -- 11:30 AM
6/22 Crawdads vs. Eagles at Field of Dreams -- 11:30 AM
6/22 Cougars vs. Grays at Field of Dreams -- 2:00 PM
6/22 Patriots vs. Leopards at Oates Field -- 2:00 PM
Rangers Academy RBI Softball Division (18U) Schedule
HOME TEAM listed first
5/25 A's vs. Cougars at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 7:00 PM
5/25 Wildcats vs. Wood Ducks at Josh Hamilton Field -- 2:30 PM
5/25 Alliance vs. YWSA at Josh Hamilton Field -- 4:45 PM
5/25 Jaguars vs. Timberwolves at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 4:45 PM
5/25 Bulldogs vs. Tigers at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
5/28 Tigers vs. A's at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
5/28 Timberwolves vs. Bulldogs at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 7:00 PM
5/29 YWSA vs. Jaguars at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 7:00 PM
5/29 Wood Ducks vs. Alliance at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
5/30 Wildcats vs. Cougars at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
6/1 Tigers vs. Timberwolves at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 7:00 PM
6/1 A's vs. Wildcats at Josh Hamilton Field -- 2:30 PM
6/1 Alliance vs. Cougars at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 4:45 PM
6/1 Jaguars vs. Wood Ducks at Josh Hamilton Field -- 4:45 PM
6/1 Bulldogs vs. YWSA at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
6/4 Cougars vs. Jaguars at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 7:00 PM
6/4 Wildcats vs. Alliance at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
6/5 Timberwolves vs. A's at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
6/5 YWSA vs. Tigers at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 7:00 PM
6/6 Wood Ducks vs. Bulldogs at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
6/8 A's vs. Alliance at Josh Hamilton Field -- 2:30 PM
6/8 Wildcats vs. Jaguars at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 7:00 PM
6/8 Cougars vs. Bulldogs at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 4:45 PM
6/8 Wood Ducks vs. Tigers at Josh Hamilton Field -- 4:45 PM
6/8 YWSA vs. Timberwolves at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
6/11 Jaguars vs. Alliance at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
6/11 YWSA vs. A's at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 7:00 PM
6/12 Timberwolves vs. Wood Ducks at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 7:00 PM
6/12 Tigers vs. Cougars at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
6/13 Bulldogs vs. Wildcats at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
6/15 Cougars vs. Timberwolves at Josh Hamilton Field -- 9:00 AM
6/15 Wood Ducks vs. YWSA at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 9:00 AM
6/15 A's vs. Jaguars at Josh Hamilton Field -- 11:15 AM
6/15 Alliance vs. Bulldogs at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 11:15 AM
6/15 Wildcats vs. Tigers at Josh Hamilton Field -- 1:30 PM
6/18 Timberwolves vs. Wildcats at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
6/18 Tigers vs. Alliance at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 7:00 PM
6/19 Bulldogs vs. Jaguars at Kershaw's Challenge Field -- 7:00 PM
6/19 Wood Ducks vs. A's at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM
6/20 YWSA vs. Cougars at Josh Hamilton Field -- 7:00 PM