UTSA freshman softball player Rylee Rodriguez has been on a tear this season. She recently earned her first Conference-USA player of the week nod in Feb. and had a batting average of .383. She lead the team in Home runs recording five so far, and also leads in RBI’s with 20 for the season so far. The third baseman is tied for the most RBI’s in the entire conference for the spring.
Rodriguez is a kinesiology major who wants to focus her future career in the physical therapy field. Her career aspirations include working with people wih disabilities and army veterans. One of the reasons she chose to play for UTSA was because of their great physical therapy program.
Rylee Rodriguez hails from Pearland, Tex. outside of the Houston metropolitan area. She attended Dawson High School and committed to UTSA when she was a sophomore in high school.
Rodriguez credits softball for many things in her life. She appreciates the experiences it affords her off the field. Throughout her softball career she has been able to travel and visit new places.
“I’ve had the chance to meet new people and make a lot of friends,” Rodriguez said. “Softball is a learning experience also, I’ve learned many things because of the game.” Being a freshman and having the level of success that she’s had can be traced back to her work ethic. “I had to get adjusted from the high school game to college level,” Rodriguez said. During the off-season she put in the work by getting extra hitting reps in her practices.
Rodriguez’s favorite baseball player is Derek Jeter, and her favorite baseball team is the New York Yankees. She is a Houston Astros fan as well (being from the Houston Area it would be a crime not to be).
The softball team has an 8-10 overall record with Conference USA play picking up March 11 against the Marshall Rams in Huntington West, Virginia. Rodriguez is excited for Conference play to start; her statistics reflect her eagerness and her work ethic. “My passion for the game drives me the most. My teammates motivate and drive me to play the hardest that I can.”
UTSA’s softball team’s next home game is on March 17 against University of Alabama-Birmingham.
