Academy Notebook:Zamarron returns from Girls Baseball Trailblazer Series; MLB Identification Tour at the Youth Academy

Giselle Zamarron returns from Girls Baseball Trailblazer Series

Giselle Zamarron, one of three Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes invited to attend the Trailblazer Series, has returned to Texas with a new perspective on girls in baseball.

Last weekend, Aaliyah Marquez, Daisy Armendariz and Zamarron traveled to Vero Beach for a one-of-a-kind girls’ baseball tournament and clinic hosted in conjunction with Jackie Robinson Day. Around 100 female baseball players, ages 11 to 13, from across the U.S. and Canada gathered for the three-day tournament at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex. Athletes had the opportunity to learn from some of the nation’s top female baseball coaches and players, including members of the USA Baseball Women’s National Team.

“One of my favorite things from the Trailblazer Series was meeting new people from around the world and getting to play ball with them,” she said. “[Working with professional female ballplayers] was awesome because they are trailblazing like me and never gave up.”

Not only did Zamarron improve her game on the field, she returned from the Trailblazer Series inspired. Major League Baseball and USA Baseball formed the Trailblazer Series in response to the growing demand for girls’ baseball while drawing inspiration from Jackie Robinson, a pioneer for accessibility and inclusivity.

Zamarron reflected on spending the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robison breaking baseball’s color barrier at a facility named in his honor, saying, “It meant a lot to me because I’m breaking barriers as a girl playing baseball. Jackie Robinson inspired me to believe that anything is possible as long as you put in time and effort.”

Each athlete at the Trailblazer Series gained the knowledge and tools to continue growing the game on and off the field, but for Zamarron there is one sentiment that will stick with her for years to come. “I learned that it’s ok for people to tell you, you can’t play baseball because you’re a girl, but you can’t tell yourself that because you can and you can do it better than some boys.”

Major League Baseball Identification Tour at the Youth Academy

On Saturday, April 23, Major League Baseball’s Identification Tour will stop at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy. Around 25 Youth Academy athletes will take the field on Saturday morning to showcase their talents in this workout-style evaluation.

This year, MLB’s identification tour will hit 12 cities across the country to identify underexposed baseball talent, particularly African American and Latino athletes, with the goal of inviting the top performers to future baseball development programs, such as the Breakthrough Series, DREAM Series or Hank Aaron Invitational.

Historically, Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes have garnered invitations to multiple men’s and women’s MLB Develops events each year. This year the Academy will see 8th and 9th grade athletes participate in this on-field workouts designed to evaluate fielding and batting ability, speed and overall baseball IQ.

April High School Baseball & Softball Schedule

Below is the schedule of the Pinkston, Sunset and Thomas Jefferson High School baseball and softball games to be played at the Academy in April. Scheduling is subject to change.