By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
Bethany Guzman and Lauren Ramirez showed what Brownsville Rivera girl power is about when the duo signed to continue playing softball together for McMurry University.
Guzman, the Lady Raiders’ utility player, was recruited as a pitcher. Power-hitting first baseman Ramirez is expecting to fill the designated hitter role in her first season with the War Hawks and work her way into a defensive position. The Rivera seniors will be playing for coach David McNally in the American Southwest Conference at the Division III level.
“I just feel blessed. All the days, the hard summers working out and grinding, putting in extra reps even when I’m tired, finally paid off. I can’t describe how I feel as anything other than blessed,” Ramirez said. “I’m looking forward to experiencing a new life and playing with a new team, under new coaches. I’m just excited for my future.”
In a heartfelt speech she delivered during the signing ceremony, Ramirez said she began dreaming of playing college softball shortly after she “first stepped foot on a diamond at West Brownsville Little League” when she was just 3 years old. She thanked a village of people who supported and inspired her to reach this goal, including her parents, grandpa, cousins, and her many coaches and teammates.
Ramirez had several other offers on the table, but she said “McMurry just felt like home.”
Going to play with a teammate was a bonus both girls are happy to have. Guzman actually played a part in Ramirez getting on McMurry’s radar when the two went to talk to McNally together after playing a game in Seguin with their travel team, South Texas Venom.
“(Guzman) said she needed to go talk to McNally but she was nervous, and I said, ‘I’ll go with you.’ He had watched our game just before and I had gone 2-for-2 (with a home run) to dead center, and he saw it and he said, ‘You can hit. I want you.’ That got the ball rolling, and it just went from there,” Ramirez said.
Guzman’s recruitment with McMurry was sparked from one of many camps she attended for exposure. Though Guzman feels comfortable playing all positions on the diamond, she said the War Hawks recruited her to be in the circle, and she’s looking forward to the opportunity.
“I first saw (McNally) at a prospect camp, and I really liked his techniques. Right off the bat, I just knew I wanted to play for (McMurry),” Guzman said. “It’s very comfortable, it has a very family feel and I love my future teammates. I’m just excited to go, that’s really all I can say. Just excited to start this new chapter. It’s going to be a fun experience, for sure.”
Guzman is a multi-sport athlete at Rivera and admitted that softball wasn’t her first love. She tried a variety of sports as a youngster, but none made her feel as good as when she started playing on the diamond. Once she fell in love, she started working toward playing at the next level, and she’s grateful for the support and time her family put into helping her reach that goal.
“(Softball has) just meant having fun. I think that’s the most important thing when playing a sport, is having fun and being yourself and being able to let go of all the other stresses in life,” Guzman said. “I don’t know what more I could ask for, just being able to continue playing the sport. I love the feeling of pitching. I love being in the center, just me and the ball, being in a focused state of mind and in control.”
Bethany Guzman’s dad, Joel Guzman, is the softball coach at Rivera. He said Tuesday was a special day because he has seen first-hand the work his two dynamic Lady Raiders have put in to earn a scholarship.
Joel Guzman praised the girls for taking initiative, and taking the risk, to play travel ball when their high school season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said their skills and passion for their sport not only carried them to this milestone, but helped them be leaders and role models that lifted the Lady Raiders’ program to a higher standard.
“Bethany always keeps her cool. She doesn’t get rattled by the crowd or the umpire or the dad. The situation is never too big for her, and that’s going to help her at the next level,” Joel Guzman said. “Lauren has so much talent that it’s scary. Lauren has a lot of power, but what sets her apart is her willingness and devotion. That girl is nonstop, and the reason she’s so good is she put in the time and invested in this sport.
“As a dad, I’m very proud, but also as a coach. It’s a special moment for us as a team,” he added. “We have a couple of young girls who are aspiring to play college softball, and this is definitely a moment for them to see and say, ‘If these girls can do it, so can we.’ When we started the team here five years ago, we lost every single one of our games. We’ve turned it around … and it’s in part because of these two individuals.”