By KEVIN NARRO | Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — Passion, relentless and tough are a few words to describe Harlingen South senior shortstop Krystal Gonzales.
Gonzales has grown up around the sport of softball and has played countless games through travel ball and at the high school level.
However, her first love wasn’t softball; in fact, it was baseball. Gonzales began her career playing baseball and made the switch to softball when she was 12 years old.
“I fell in love with baseball, that is what I did my whole life, but I made the switch over to softball because when I got to high school I knew I wasn’t going to be able to play baseball,” she said.
A few years later, it is safe to say Gonzales made the right choice, and she is having one of her best seasons yet.
Gonzales who played catcher early in her high school career, moved back to the shortstop position — her natural position — her junior year.
“I have always loved the shortstop position,” she said. “That was a position my brother loved, too, and that was the position he played, and because of him I wanted to play that position, too. I always wanted to be like him.”
Gonzales has the tools to be an elite shortstop, and coach Elias Martinez has seen those tools firsthand. What makes the relationship special is that Gonzales is part of Martinez’s first graduating class.
“When she came in as a freshman, that was my first year here at Harlingen South,” Martinez said, “I have seen her grow and mature in so many ways. Her parents have done a great job on raising her, and she is very respectful. Then you throw in her athleticism … that is a pretty good combo.”
Gonzales, who bats third in a potent Lady Hawks lineup, is batting .536, with 15 hits, four doubles and 19 runs through 10 district games this season.
She has helped the Lady Hawks earn another playoff berth and again is in a familiar spot: the postseason. Gonzales has plenty of playoff experience, along with a Sweet 16 experience her sophomore year and a trip to the third round her junior year.
“I feel good right now. I had a few errors against Hanna, but those are some things I’m trying to fix so I make sure they don’t happen in the playoffs,” Gonzales said. “The playoff runs are fun, and these runs are something you will see at the college level, and those things are preparing me for the college level.”
With her time in a Lady Hawks uniform winding down, Gonzales owes her career and work ethic to her dad and also to her older brother, Anjel Gonzales, who is on the coaching staff as a student coach.
“My brother and dad have really pushed me to better myself,” Gonzales said. “They both work with me in the offseason, especially my brother. He worked with me throughout the summers on hitting and fielding, and growing up I always wanted to be like him.”
Gonzales and the Lady Hawks will kick off their postseason journey at 7 tonight in a best-of-three series at Edinburg North.