By
Tony Lee
On
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Right next to the Adams Avenue, a brand-new softball field is being built for the start of the 2010 spring season for Orange Coast College's softball team.Head softball coach Ruby Rojas said she will have open tryouts for OCC students who are interested in suiting up for the lady Pirates next season."I will be holding tryouts January 5th at 1 p.m. and I am looking for eligible student athletes to come out for the 2010 season," Rojas said. "Especially since we just got a $3 million stadium."Rojas is a 2008 Beijing Olympian athlete and batted cleanup for the Venezuelan national team. She also competed in the Canada Cup over the summer and led Venezuela to a third place finish.
To read a feature story about Rojas, click here. To read a feature story on some of the 2010 recruits, click here.
[Artist rendering courtesy of Orange Coast College]
By
Tony Lee
On
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
I’m going to make a prediction: Even though the OCC softball team lost captains Nicole Silva and Kasey Potter for the 2010 season, the lady Pirates will not go winless in the Orange Empire Conference again.Some may think that’s a bold statement but the lady Pirates were the most injury-plagued team in all of OEC and had to play several games with exactly the minimum number of players allowed to compete.For 2010, depth won’t be a problem because head coach Ruby Rojas said she was determined to have a busy recruiting season. As a result, six new lady Pirates will join Rojas next year.
The highlight of the incoming six freshmen recruits are shortstop Myranda Hoggatt (pictured), second baseman Jordan Malavar and pitcher/first baseman Stephanie Engle from the 2009 Edison High School championship team.But it wasn’t easy recruiting all three. Rojas was at their games, talking to them personally and convinced them to come to Coast, despite OCC’s win-less conference record.“I kind of didn’t look at OCC at first,” Hoggatt said. "I kind of didn’t want to go to OCC until I started talking to Ruby, but it seems like she can turn the program around.”Malavar added it’ll be a challenge but also fun to turn the program around.“Maybe they may not have a winning record but we’re all out there having fun, getting great education, we’re all going to transfer out, we all have a goal,” she said. “As long as we can communicate, I think we can turn it around.”Hoggatt said “I’m actually stoked” and Malavar said “That’s awesome” when asked about coming to OCC and playing with close friends, but both will have to work hard off the field for that to happen.Malavar, a self-proclaimed nerd, will be a political science and sociology major and hopes to transfer to an east coast university.Hoggatt will also have a demanding schedule as a chemical engineering major.“OCC is, I think, the No. 2 school for transfer rates and after talking with Ruby, she really seemed to care about we wanted to transfer, getting our academics done,” Malavar said. “We’re definitely on the same level coaching wise and school wise and I thought it would be a perfect match.”All three Edison recruits will also be reunited with former teammate Sarah Munson - a sophomore pitcher for Coast.Other freshmen recruits are Cheyanne Tovar, from Rojas’ high school alma mater - Mater Dei, Trea Steele from Esperanza High School and Tracy Valdez from FVS.For the 2010 season, look for the lady Pirates to not only win a game, but compete for the OEC championship.[Photo courtesy of Myranda Hoggatt]
By
Tony Lee
On
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Some take the summer to relax and some are busy as ever.
OCC's head softball coach Ruby Rojas is the latter and is sharing her summer activities via Twitter.
So far from Rojas' tweets on twitter.com/rrojas8, she went back to Venezuela to practice with the international team, is actively involved in the BACKSOFTBALL campaign and played in the Canada Cup with multiple injuries (her team finished third in the tournament).
According to canadacup.com, Rojas batted cleanup and played left field for the majority of the tournament. Her best offensive game was on July 6 against Austraila, where she went 2-for-3 with a walk, two doubles and two RBIs.
I also found out from her tweets that she likes to watch BET, been playing with a dirty uniform, loves to cook and saw Transformers 2 and loved it.
And she still has a busy summer left. From her Twitter, Rojas said "3rd place @ Canada Cup. Not bad & way to not give up teammates! Next destination....Chicago to play against Chicago Bandits!"
Yes, I now have a stalker-esk knowledge of our softball coach from reading a couple of her tweets, but I think it's cool to get to know a coach this way.
It's always cool to know that our coaches, teachers, star athletes and students are just like everyone else. I hope more coaches will be active Twitters like Rojas in the future.
Anyways, I hope your summer just keeps on getting better Ruby and keep giving us Twitter updates.
After all, I am a nosy journalist who wants to know everything.
[Photo courtesy of Orange Coast College]
Right next to the Adams Avenue, a brand-new softball field is being built for the start of the 2010 spring season for Orange Coast College's softball team.
