Mya Perez, Gabbie Garcia lead Latinas in NCAA Softball tourney
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Julian Guiliarte, New York correspondent
- May 15, 2025
Freshman Gabbie Garcia hopes to keep Oklahoma's streak alive
From slugger Mya Perez of No. 1 seed Texas A&M to freshman sensation Gabbie Garcia at No. 2 seed Oklahoma all the way to the lowest seeds, several prominent Latinas stand out in the 64-team field that is set to begin the NCAA Softball Tournament’s road to the Women’s College World Series.
We’ve accumulated a list of the top Latinas expected to shine in the NCAA Softball Tournament, which starts Friday with 16 NCAA Regionals. Gabbie Garcia, who leads the Sooners with 16 home runs, hopes to help Oklahoma win its fifth consecutive Women’s College World Series.
Here are the Latinas to watch:
Texas A&M left-handed hitting first baseman Mya Perez is having a breakout season. The sophomore slugger has 14 home runs, 68 RBIs, a .447 batting average, and an OPS of 1.408 in 141 at-bats this season.
Mya Perez leads Aggies
Mya Perez has helped lead Texas A&M to the top overall seed with a record of 45-9. She leads the Aggies in home runs, RBIs, batting average, hits, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS in 2025. She made the most of her opportunity after only getting 42 at-bats last season. Larisa Perez also plays for the Aggies.
North Carolina second baseman Kat Rodriguez leads the nation in RBIs with 83. The fifth-year senior has nine home runs and a slash line of .453/.515/.700 in 170 at-bats. Rodriguez started competing internationally with Colombia when she was 15 years old.
Florida State sophomore Isa Torres is a right-handed hitting shortstop. She has put together an excellent season with eight home runs, 44 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, a .447 batting average, an on-base of .486, and an OPS of 1.126 in 197 at-bats.
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Clemson right-handed pitcher Macey Cintron, the ACC Freshman of the Year, is a two-way player. She had a record of 8-2 in 61 innings with 46 strikeouts, and an ERA of 1.95. She appeared in 22 games, with 14 of her outings coming out of the bullpen. Cintron had two complete games over eight starts in the circle.
She also had 13 home runs, 48 RBIs and an OPS of 1.059 in 156 at-bats. There’s no doubt that Cintron and Gabbie Garcia are two of the best freshman in college softball this season.
Duke junior second baseman Aminah Vega has 11 home runs, 50 RBIs, 78 hits, a .433 batting average, with a .488 on-base percentage, and an OPS of 1.200 in 180 at-bats this season.
Garcia Garcia is clutch
Oklahoma shortstop Gabbie Garcia is arguably the best freshman Latina college softball. The left-handed shortstop has 16 home runs, 50 RBIs, three stolen bases, a .358 batting average.
Gabbie Garcia, who has an impressive 1.172 OPS over 148 at-bats, hit a walk-off, three-run home run to send Oklahoma to the SEC Tournament final. She leads the Sooners (45-7) in home runs and RBIs.
UCF freshman Isabella Vega was a First Team All-Big 12 selection. She was also named a unanimous selection to the Big 12’s All-Freshman team. She is a right-handed pitcher who went 13-5 this season with an ERA of 1.35 in 119.2 innings.
Arizona State left-handed hitting outfielder Ashleigh Mejia was an All-Big 12 Second Team and All-Freshman selection. She provided a spark to the Sun Devils with 13 home runs, 44 RBIs, a .270 batting average, and an OPS of .956 in 148 at-bats.
Texas Tech junior catcher Victoria Valdez was named to the Big 12’s All-Defensive Team. She had a fielding percentage of .997 and had one passed ball and error this season. She threw out 12 of 26 base stealers.
Elena Escobar is Liberty’s ace. The senior right-hander is 22-3 with a 1.83 ERA and 160 strikeouts this season. Binghamton senior outfielder Brianna Santos hit .355 this season with an OPS of .841 in 169 at-bats.
UCLA features catcher Alexis Ramirez and Sofia Mujica split time at catcher. Mujica, a freshman, got the majority of the starts with 45. Mujica had a fielding percentage of .980. She also had seven home runs with 33 RBIs in 98 at-bats.
Ramirez, a sophomore, caught three runners attempting to stealin. She didn’t allow any passed balls. Ramirez also hit four home runs with 19 RBIs in 68 at-bats.
Fuentes and Mejia pace UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara infielder Bella Fuentes and outfielder Giselle Mejia were both First Team All-Big West selections. Fuentes has hit 11 home runs with 60 RBIs, a .303 batting average, and a .910 OPS in 178 at-bats.
Mejia is a left-handed freshman who had a .395 batting average and a 1.041 OPS in 152 at-bats. SDSU senior outfielder Bella Espinoza was an All Mountain West First Team selection. She hit .350 with 11 RBIs.
Senior right-hander/utility player Grace Uribe was a Second Team selection. Uribe is 9-2 with a 2.99 ERA in 103 innings with 63 strikeouts and two saves. Uribe played right field and hit six home runs. Dee Dee Hernandez is also on the SDSU pitching staff. She is 7-7 with a 4.31 ERA in 75 innings.
University of South Florida shortstop Alanah Rivera has seven home runs, 35 RBIs, a .321 batting average, and a 1.040 OPS.
Washington has two impactful Latina hitters. Senior outfielder Alycia Flores Flores had five home runs, 31 RBIs, a .299 batting average, and an OPS of .880. and sophomore infielder Giselle Alvarez hit eight home runs, with 33 RBIs, a .287 batting average, and an OPS of .887.
Jose Rijo’s cousin stars at Arkansas
Arkansas junior shortstop Atalyia Rijo has strong baseball bloodlines. Her mother Audrey played college softball, and her father Fernando pitched 11 minor league seasons. Her cousin Jose Rijo was the 1990 World Series MVP with the Cincinnati Reds.
Atalyia has carved a nice path of her own with five home runs, 34 RBIs, a .292 batting average, and an OPS of .875 this season. Arkansas, the No. 4 seed, is 40-12.
Auburn senior shortstop Nelia Peralta has 10 home runs, 33 RBIs, a .354 batting average, and an OPS of 1.086 in 161 at-bats this season. She’s billed as Auburn’s “Queen of Smooth.”
Mississippi State’s Lexi Sosa is a two-way player. As a hitter, she had 10 home runs, 29 RBIs, and a .909 OPS in 104 at-bats. On the mound, she threw 39 innings with 27 strikeouts and a 4.13 ERA.
Left-handed pitcher Alexis Guevara leads Brown with 171 innings and 154 strikeouts. She has a 1.84 ERA. She broke the Brown single-season strikeout record, which was previously 128. Her 394 career strikeouts are also a school record.
Grand Canyon junior utility player Emily Gonzalez was named to the All-WAC First Team. She hit .385 with a .500 on-base percentage. Graduate outfielder Makaiya Gomez made the All-WAC Second Team. She had nine home runs, 46 RBIs, and a .350 batting average in 157 at-bats.
Ole Miss freshman Persy Llamas had seven home runs, 48 RBIs, a .369 batting average, and a 1.007 OPS in 160 AB. Brianna Lopez is 11-4 with a 2.39 ERA. She also saved two games and pitched 111.1 innings with 99 strikeouts.
Speedy Megan Delgadillo
Oklahoma State’s Megan Delgadillo has started all 51 games. The speedy outfielder is hitting .329. Florida Atlantic junior left-handed pitcher Jaden Martinez threw 68 ⅔ innings with 63 strikeouts and a 2.34 ERA.
Howard’s Alyssa Vasquez is hitting.358 with a .415 on-base percentage, and a .927 OPS in 123 at-bats. Vasquez also had 33 RBIs. Texas pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez is 10-1 with a 2.48 ERA and three saves. She has made 20 of her 29 appearances in relief. The junior right-hander struck out 66 batters in 76 ⅓ innings in 2025.
UConn senior third baseman Rosie Garcia has five home runs, 34 RBIs, a .340 batting average. Jackson State’s Meah Almaraz has a .366 batting average and an OPS of .935 in 134 at-bats. She also had two home runs, 30 RBIs, and four stolen bases.
California freshman Miranda de Nava is 12-5 with 62 strikeouts, and a 3.29 ERA. She’ll likely get a chance to face Oklahoma’s Gabbie Garcia in the NCAA Regional.
Featured art Morgan Givens/University of Oklahoma.
Julian Guiliarte
New York correspondent
Julian is a New Jersey-New York based reporter who has experience covering the Yankees and Mets. He is also very knowledgeable with the Mets and Yankees’ farm systems.
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