By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer
Sometimes, players need to let their actions on the field do the talking.
It’s not always the most vocal player that motivates a team, but rather one who executes the fundamentals on a consistent basis that teammates look up to.
The Porter Cowgirls are fortunate to have such a player in Brissa Rivera, a junior shortstop who moonlights as a pitcher.
“She deserves a moment under the sun, and she needs to shine,” Porter coach Arial Arreganda said. “She’s one of our silent leaders. She’s not very vocal. She does what she needs to do. She’s not someone who breaks down emotionally or pumps everybody up by being the loudest cheerer, she’s a gamer.”
Rivera is currently in her second season as a full-time varsity player. She tore her ACL playing basketball as a freshman but has since evolved into a stronger athlete both mentally and physically.
“My biggest improvement has been my confidence in myself,” Rivera said. “Last year, I would put myself down, but now that our new coach came along, she helped us build up that confidence.”
Arreganda took over as the coach during the early stages of the season on an interim basis. She had been an assistant who worked with the pitchers and catchers prior to her new role.
Arreganda has been pleased with the impact Rivera provides on both sides of the ball. She complimented her smooth swing, her ability to take the mound in a pinch and her range at shortstop, citing times where Rivera has caught balls that even she couldn’t believe wound up in her mitt.
Thanks in part to Rivera’s anchoring of the infield and results at the plate, the Cowgirls own a 6-2 record in District 32-5A and are eager to restore Porter’s dominance.
Though the team appears to be trending in the right direction, Arreganda and Rivera each feel like there is still work to be done.
“There’s always room for improvement,” Arreganda said. “We’re at that crossroads where we can win district and not just go one or two rounds deep. Maybe we can go back to the Sweet 16 and put Porter back on the map.”
And if any player is going to grind out an at-bat or put forth the additional effort necessary to make the Cowgirls relevant in the postseason, it’s going to be Rivera.
“I’m extremely happy with what we’ve accomplished so far this year, but I know we can do so much more,” she said.
Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.