Academy Notebook: Texas Rangers Youth Academy – A year in review, part 1

Rangers Youth Academy athlete earns spot on Mexico’s Junior National Team

Texas Rangers Youth Academy athlete Ximena Zamarron completed multiple rounds of intense tryouts before earning her place on Team Mexico’s Junior National Softball Team.

“I’m so excited,” she said. “Making the team is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I get to experience. It means the most to me knowing that I get to represent my great grandparents, grandparents and my Mexican heritage.”

Zamarron and Mexico’s Junior National Team took silver in the PanAmerican Junior Games in Barranquilla, Colombia this week. On Tuesday, Nov. 30, she led her team to victory with a walk-off single in the seventh inning to give them the 1-0 win over Peru, and on Wednesday, Dec. 1, she made a sliding catch in the third to hold Team USA scoreless.

Black History Month Jamboree

In honor of Black History Month, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy hosted the inaugural Black History Month Jamboree and Black History Month Camp presented by Nike.

The tournament saw high school teams from Lincoln, Madison, Wilmer-Hutchins, Adamson, Carter and South Oak Cliff compete in the full-day event on Johnny Oates Field.

Texas Rangers Youth Academy and The Confess Project cut away the stigma

On May 8, the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation and Youth Academy participated in Mental Health Awareness Month by partnering with The Confess Project to cut away the stigma around mental health.

The award-winning non-profit organization, The Confess Project, is dedicated to advancing minority mental health awareness and reform through its coalition of barbers trained to act as mental health advocates.

Youth Academy athletes of all ages attended the three-hour event to receive free haircuts coordinated by The Confess Project. Additionally, mental health professionals from organizations like Mental Health America of Greater Dallas and Guided Journey Outreach Services were on-site to distribute resources and offer free mental health screenings.

Academy Signing Day at Globe Life Field

Nearly a dozen Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes signed their national letters of intent to play college baseball and softball this year. Student-athletes were recognized for their accomplishments on and off the field while formally signing their letters on the playing surface of Globe Life Field.

Athletes recognized at this year’s Academy Signing Day event included Ariana Ortiz, Hannah Pacheco, Mackenzie Amaya, Nick Mooney, Kevin Daniel Cox, Dylan Byrd, Matthew De Leon, James Martinez, Adrian Vargas, Dodge Suprun and Christian Jarmon.

2021 Pitch, Hit & Run competition

This year, the Texas Rangers Youth Academy played host to two rounds of the Pitch, Hit & Run competition. The first round of local competition saw 80 Youth Academy athletes compete in the three stages of the competition.

Greylon Lawrence, Nathan Salinas, Emiliano Maldonado and Rihanna Ramirez advanced to the second round team championship at Globe Life Field. Winners from round two of the competition were eligible to advance to the final round at the MLB World Series.

Rangers Youth Academy athlete Emiliano Maldonado took first place in his age division at the team championship, but after final scores from across the country were tabulated, he was edged out and eliminated from the competition.

Elite development opportunities

Being an active member of the Texas Rangers Youth Academy often opens doors for athletes to secure invites to elite developmental opportunities hosted by MLB, USA Baseball, USA Softball and others.

Several Rangers Youth Academy athletes participated in various events where they learned how to develop their game on and off the field from former MLB players, Olympians and top coaches from across the U.S.

This year, Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes participated in the Dairy Max Baseball & Softball Factory showcase, USA Baseball National Team Identification Series, MLB Develops Baseball Breakthrough Series, New Balance Future Stars Series, the Hank Aaron Invitational and MLB Develops Softball Breakthrough Series.