Academy Notebook: Pitch, Hit & Run Team Championship; Fall programming begins Sept. 12; WATCH: Ana Gonzalez accepts Jennie Finch Empowerment Award  

Eight academy athletes to compete in Rangers Pitch, Hit & Run Team Championship – Saturday, Sept. 9

Eight Rangers Youth Academy athletes will compete at Globe Life Field tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 9, in the Texas Rangers’ Pitch, Hit & Run Team Championship.

Winners with the highest point totals from first-round local competitions across the region advanced to the Team Championship with hopes of reaching the National Finals at MLB's World Series on Sunday, October. 29.

The 40 qualified regional athletes will travel from cities in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi to compete in Saturday’s youth skills competition.

Beginning at 7:30 a.m., participants will showcase their skills and receive corresponding point values based on their ability to pitch strikes, hit long balls and run from base to base.

The highest-scoring athletes in the 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U baseball and softball divisions will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the World Series in Oct., where they will compete for a National Championship in the host team’s stadium.

All participants in Saturday’s Team Championship at Globe Life Field will receive tickets to that evening’s Rangers-A’s game at 6:05 p.m.

Representing the Texas Rangers Youth Academy are eight baseball and softball players between 7-14 years old that won their respective divisions at the first-round local competition on June 26.

Fall baseball & softball programming begins Sept. 12

The fall baseball and softball programming session at the Texas Rangers Youth Academy begins Tuesday, Sept. 12.

Trainees ages 7-18 will be designated into novice, intermediate and advanced skills groups, where they will gain hands-on experience from Rangers Youth Academy coaches in a variety of disciplines on both sides of the ball.

Programming will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday evenings for 18U and 15U athletes, Wednesday evenings for 9U athletes and Thursday evenings for 12U athletes through Nov. 9.

Athletes in the older age divisions may also register for supplemental speed and conditioning and weight training sessions.

Speed and conditioning training will take place on Mondays from 4:15-6 p.m. for 12U athletes, followed by 18U and 15U athletes from 6 – 7:15 p.m. The Texas Rangers Youth Academy weight room will also be open for athletes in the 18U and 15U divisions Tuesday through Thursday 4:30-6 p.m.

Registration for the no-cost baseball and softball training program will remain open throughout the session at rangers.com/academy.

WATCH: Ana Gonzalez accepts her Jennie Finch Empowerment Award at the Softball Breakthrough Series

Ana Gonzalez won the final 2023 Jennie Finch Empowerment Award and $10,000 scholarship, presented by ARM & HAMMER, at the 2023 MLB and USA Softball Breakthrough Series.

Watch the five-minute feature on Ana’s Breakthrough Series experience and hear from MLB Softball Ambassadors Lauren Chamberlain and Jennie Finch on what made her a deserving recipient.

To view the segment, which originally aired on MLB Network’s Play Ball show on Saturday, Sept. 2, visit the MLB.com Film Room.