Academy Notebook: Rangers RBI Opening Day; Jr. Home Run Derby – Round One recap; Dallas ISD Playoff Baseball at the Academy; Daisy Armendariz reflects on Trailblazer Series
Rangers RBI Opening Day
The Texas Rangers Youth Academy will open the Rangers RBI 2022 season this Saturday, May 7. Academy athletes ages 13-18 will spend the summer competing against one another to claim the Rangers RBI championship trophy.
Nearly 30 teams will compete between the junior and senior baseball and softball divisions, with 10 games slated for Rangers RBI Opening Day on Saturday.
Rangers RBI is one of over 200 RBI programs operating under Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program. Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities is a youth baseball and softball initiative designed to drive participation and create opportunities for young athletes from underserved and diverse communities looking to play ball.
Throughout the season, Rangers RBI athletes will have opportunities to work with their coaches and teammates to improve their game in the offseason.
The Youth Academy’s top performers will have a chance to join one of the Rangers RBI All-Star Teams and compete in the MLB RBI Southwest Regional Tournament in July. Additionally, at the conclusion of the season, two athletes will be awarded Rangers RBI college scholarships for their performance on and off the field.
Rangers RBI will play weekly games through the end of July at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy.
Jr. Home Run Derby at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy
Last weekend the Texas Rangers Youth Academy hosted the first round of the Jr. Home Run Derby for its athletes. Over 40 of the Youth Academy’s top sluggers, ages 11-16, swung away with hopes to advance to the Dallas Regional on June 26.
This year athletes faced machine-pitched baseballs and softballs in two rounds of competition. In round one, athletes had a chance to swing for the most home runs, securing one of two spots in the final head-to-head competition.
The top two athletes from each division faced off, with the winner securing a spot in the Jr. Home Run Derby Dallas Regional competition.
Jr. Home Run Derby Results:
14U Baseball
Round One: Santos Salinas 5; Maddox Johnson 4
Final Round: Maddox Johnson 7; Santos Salinas 2
Highlights: Defending Youth Academy Champion and national runner-up Maddox Johnson was once again crowned as the Jr. Home Run Derby Champion, this time in the 14U age division. His round two performance to secure the win saw him hit seven of the longest balls in the competition.
12U Baseball
Round One: Luciano Lopez 4; Alex Rodriguez 3
Final Round: Luciano Lopez 3; Alex Rodriguez 2
Highlights: The 12U baseball division saw a close contest between the two finalists, Luciano Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. The pair were separated by just one home run throughout the competition until Lopez solidified his victory in grand fashion with a walk-off home run.
16U Softball
Round One: Ana Gonzales 7; Giovanca Frias 5
Round Two: Ana Gonzales 4; Giovanca Frias 4
Final Round: Ana Gonzales 3; Giovanca Frias 2
Highlights: After a deadlocked round one, athletes returned to the plate for a tiebreaking second round, eventually sending Ana Gonzales and Giovanca Frais to the final. Gonzales out swung Frais by one home run earning herself a spot in the regional competition.
14U Softball
Round One: Alyssa Summers 1
Highlights: Alyssa Summers won her spot in the Dallas Regional with a round one bomb. As the only 14U softball player to hit it out of the park in round one, Summers easily secured her spot in the regional.
Participants in the Dallas Regional will look to be named one of the top 16 sluggers from across the country and advance to the sixth annual Jr. Home Run Derby Finals at Major League Baseball’s All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.
Dallas ISD Playoff Baseball at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy
After another successful regular season of Dallas ISD baseball and softball games at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy, the playoffs have officially begun.
The Rangers Youth Academy will play host for tonight’s Bi-District Round of the 2022 Texas UIL Baseball Playoffs in Class 5A, Region II. Game 1 of the Best of 3 series between Carrollton Creekview (25-5) of District 11 and Dallas Adamson (15-6) of District 12.
First pitch is at 6 p.m., on Johnny Oates Field at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy at the Mercy Street Sports Complex, presented by Toyota
Daisy Armendariz Reflects on Her Experience at the Trailblazer Series
Daisy Armendariz was among three Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes invited to attend the annual girl’s baseball Trailblazer Series last month at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex.
Armendariz, alongside Rangers Youth Academy teammates Aaliyah Marquez and Giselle Zamarron, traveled to Vero Beach to participate in MLB’s one-of-a-kind girls’ baseball tournament and camp hosted in conjunction with Jackie Robinson Day.
Armendariz returned to Dallas with a new appreciation for her talent and role as a girl in baseball. “It was just an overall amazing time,” she said, reflecting on her experience at the Trailblazer Series. “I loved how we were always doing things that had to do with baseball.”
While in Vero Beach, Armendariz was reassured that she belonged in baseball. Supported by her parents and Rangers Youth Academy senior director Juan Leonel Gárciga, she established herself as a top performer at the Trailblazer Series.
Armendariz joined roughly 100 female baseball players ages 11 to 13 for the three-day tournament and camp, where she learned from the nation’s top female baseball coaches and players.
“It was great getting coached by professional female coaches and players,” she said. “It was nice that they took their time to teach us new things, make sure we did our best and had fun.”
Receiving encouragement from her coaches and teammates at the Trailblazer series created a lasting impact on Armendariz. As a young girl playing baseball amongst the boys, she hasn’t always experienced equal opportunities, but has never let it impact her play on the field.
“As long as you keep going, you can reach your dreams," she said. "You can become anything you want as long as you care and do your best." Armendariz has never given up her dream and will continue to make her mark in the sport.
Rangers RBI baseball & softball schedule