CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Texas A&M University Corpus Christi officially introduced Kathleen Rodriguez as the school's newest head softball coach during a press conference Wednesday. She spent the past five years as head coach at Trinity Valley Community College.
Previously she spent 10 seasons at UTEP where she started the program and still holds the record for total wins and wins in the season.
While Rodriguez has enjoyed great success on the field, it is her background which keeps her humble. She grew up in Santa Fe, N.M., where few girls sports were available while attending Santa Fe High School in the late 1980s.
She grew up playing boys baseball and even made the varsity team her freshman year and played catcher.
"Playing with boys and learning how to be gritty because they don't want you there was a big deal for me so that's kind of who I am," said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez transitioned onto the softball team her sophomore year and was so good she earned an athletic scholarship to St. Mary's University in San Antonio. It has become her lifelong mission to give back to her players.
"Softball gave me everything, my education, foundation and the ability to provide that back to these young women is a gift," she said.
