With spring sports now in season, RecordNet.com nominated 25 of the most talented softball players in San Joaquin County for Softball Fans Player of the Year. The players chosen for this award were picked based on their MaxPreps stats and rankings, and one of Stagg’s very own, Aerie Garcia, was chosen as one of the nominees.

Being nominated for an award as big as “RecordNet’s Softball POY” is something that many high school students don’t ever think about being nominated for. Garcia, who plays pitcher and third base, expressed her gratitude, stating, “It feels really good, I’ve been working really hard this season, so I’m glad it paid off.” 

With the help of Garcia and the rest of the team, Stagg’s softball team is currently going 4 to 2, winning most of their league games. Garcia is leading the team in the majority of the stats and has the goal of 100 strikeouts as one of the team’s pitchers, currently being at 48.

Garcia started her softball journey at the young age of 5 years old. She didn’t find any other sport interesting until she came upon softball, and it soon became a long-term thing for her. She has played on numerous travel ball teams, like the NorCal Tremors and Dynasty Fastpitch, before coming to Stagg to play for varsity.

Garcia stated that being on varsity throughout high school played a big part in being nominated for this award. “My high school coaches push me really hard to be the best player I am.” 

Head Varsity Coach Lia Madrazo, who has coached Garcia for 3 years, says she is deserving of this award due to her humility and drive to play the game. Madrazo states that Garcia’s communication and confidence allows her to excel on the field. “She is very motivated; this will be a good motivation thing for her,” said Madrazo. 

Madrazo mentions that Garcia has a great relationship with her teammates . She is able to communicate with all of them both on and off the field. Garcia is a huge support system for most of the team. 

Fellow teammate Emiliana Palafox said that, “She always motivates us to be there and try our best.” At most games, Garcia can be seen giving her teammates words of encouragement when they huddle after innings. Palafox said, “She’s the definition of [how] you can have a fun time while working hard.” Garcia can usually be heard cheering on her teammates from the dugout and field as they make plays.

Voting for this award ends on May 3rd, and the winner will be announced on May 7th on the RecordNet. Garcia expressed that there isn’t any pressure to win, but it was “An honor just to be nominated.” A link to the survey is here. https://www.recordnet.com/story/sports/high-school/sports-awards/2024/03/19/vote-recordnet-fans-choice-baseball-and-softball-player-of-the-year/72999858007/