A pair of athletes from the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex, Presented by Toyota, will be on the field at Globe Life Park in Arlington tonight, Friday, May 31.

Angel Gomez and Rihanna Ramirez, the first two recipients of the new Joey Gallo’s Academy Athletes of the Month award, will attend batting practice, meet Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo, and be honored on the field prior to the 7:05 p.m. game against the Kansas City Royals.

The Rangers and Gallo earlier this week announced the Joey Gallo Academy Athletes of the Month program to recognize outstanding young athletes from the Academy.

“I am very pleased to be doing this program with the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy,” said Gallo. “I trained at the Academy during much of this past off-season and was able to see the great impact that this facility has on young athletes in so many ways. I’m looking forward to meeting the monthly winners throughout the season.”

Gomez participated in the local round of the Jr Home Run Derby at the Academy on May 3, winning the 12U age group to advance to the regional round of competition. The sixth grader at Uplift Heights also plays on the Academy’s 12U wood bat team. (Video of Gomez discussing the JR Home Run Derby is available here: https://www.mlb.com/video/angel-gomez-on-jr-home-run-derby)

Angel Gomez at the Academy

Ramirez, who attends Inspired Vision Academy, was the overall champion in 12U softball at the sectional round of the Scott’s Pitch Hit & Run Competition hosted at the Academy on May 11.

Rihanna Ramirez at the Academy.

Each month from May through August, Academy coaches will select one female 12U participant and one male 12U participant who stood out, demonstrating great sportsmanship and character. The Joey Gallo Academy Athletes of the Month will meet Gallo during batting practice at a game at Globe Life Park, and receive a Joey Gallo Academy Athlete t-shirt and an autographed baseball. Honorees will also be recognized during a pre-game presentation that night.

Go Time

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.

Showcase Summer

A summer of Academy Athletes traveling to MLB showcase events is officially underway, with Melanie Henderson-Lopez (junior, Irving High School) and Erin Ledesma (junior, Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School) having represented the Rangers at the Softball Breakthrough Series at the Kansas City Royals Youth Academy from May 23 to 27.

And even more appearances are on the horizon.

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.

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

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

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

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