By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
The journey to college softball hasn’t been easy for Lyford senior Jerrica Rojas. She sacrificed a lot to achieve the goal she set when she was just 10 years old.
Rojas chose travel ball tournaments over having a quinceañera, missed birthdays for showcases and traded in sleep for late nights and early morning practices.
All the hard work and dedication came to fruition as Rojas signed her national letter of intent to play for Prairie View A&M University on Wednesday.
“Throughout my softball years, there’s been a lot of prioritizing,” Rojas said. “Softball was always my main priority because I wanted to meet my goal of getting to the next level. I knew I had to go to the tournament or showcase, because if not I could be missing out.”
Rojas opened the ceremony by giving an emotional speech, thanking God and her family, coaches, teammates and friends for getting her to the big day. She started playing softball when she was 3 years old, and as her skills developed her dad, Johnny, planted the seed that grew into her goal of playing at the next level.
With her mind set, Rojas joined travel organizations and started playing year-round. She currently plays with Force Gold when she’s not suited up for Lyford, where she has established herself as the heart of the program and one of the top players in the Rio Grande Valley.
As a freshman in 2017, Rojas was named the Valley Morning Star All-STAR Newcomer of the Year. The following season she earned the offensive player of the year award, and as a junior she tabbed second team honors.
“She’s a natural leader. She’s going to tell you how it is and get things done,” Lyford coach Joey Rios said. “We may butt heads, but it’s for the right reasons because we push each other to be the best. It’s phenomenal (to coach a player like her), especially to see the younger players around her react to her and follow her lead.”
Rojas said the support of her parents has played a big part in her success. She joked that even after a 5-for-5 game, her dad will tell her what she could have done better, and his pushing mixed with her mother’s comforting has been the ideal combination.
Johnny Rojas called the occasion bittersweet and said memories of the years spent following her from diamond to diamond were racing through his head as they celebrated her accomplishment.
“This is what we worked for the entire time, it’s definitely my dream for her,” he said. “It’s going to be hard to let her go, she’s my baby. But I’m really excited to see her play at the next level, and I know she’ll do well.”
Before she heads to Prairie View, Jerrica Rojas wants to lead the Lady Bulldogs to new heights and leave an impact on her teammates.
“We’re going to try to get past that third round, and take it step by step to try and make it to state,” she said. “I hope the girls look up to me and realize that it wasn’t easy to get where I am, but you can if you work hard.”