By Miranda Tomlinson

Since playing alongside the boys as a little girl to becoming one of St. Mary’s softball stars, senior first baseman Danielle Ruiz’s passion and drive have helped guide her in her quest to be known in her sport.

Another force in her life, Ruiz’s mother, Frances, got her into playing softball, but not until after she had a few years playing alongside boys her age.

“She started off by playing baseball with boys, and then I stuck her into actual softball when she was around nine, and since then she has grown tremendously,” Ruiz’s mother said.

She also said that in her first few years as a softball player, Ruiz really struggled at the plate, so Frances contacted a hitting coach with great credentials, Tony Dello.

“He was actually a part of the Diamondbacks coaching staff when the Diamondbacks won the World Series, and he’s been her hitting coach since she was 11,” Ruiz’s mother said. “Since then, her hitting has been phenomenal.”

Ruiz is currently batting .442 with 26 runs and 31 RBI’s. 

Although juniors Brianna Erran (.568 ave.) and Miah Rodriguez (.463 ave.) lead St. Mary’s in hitting, Ruiz is St. Mary's senior leader. 

Ruiz agrees that her skills have improved in the past decade, but the biggest change she’s noticed is in her mental approach to the game.

“I’ve grown a lot with the mental part of the game,” Ruiz said. “I remember my freshman year I had the athletic ability, but my mentality wasn’t the best. I would always get down on myself if I would make an error, and then I would be out of it for the rest of the game, like check out mentally.”

Now, when the four-year starter at St. Mary’s makes an error, she quickly focuses how she can correct it and moves on to the next play.

Since she has no intentions of ending her softball career, she decided to continue her softball career at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, where she will study psychology.

“I heard about Trinity through one of my friends who committed there, so I applied just to see if I could get in, because it’s a very hard school to get into,” Ruiz said. “I emailed the coaches, played last year in a tournament in Houston, and I guess the coaches were there and saw me play. We have been in contact ever since.”

Ruiz visited Trinity in February, after visiting several other campuses, and said the feelings she got while at Trinity didn’t even compare to any other university.

“That’s how I knew I wanted to go there,” Ruiz said. “I met the whole softball team when I went and there was just so much positive energy, and I Ioved it.”

As for how she wants her senior year to end at St. Mary, Ruiz’s goal is to become an All-American.

St. Mary’s coach Mike Espinoza has coached Ruiz throughout her high school career and believes she can achieve her goal, primarily because of her work ethic and leadership skills, he said.

“She always wants to do more,” Espinoza said. “She busts her tail in the weight room. She’s always trying to be the best out there and it shows because the girls see that.”

Not only has Ruiz started all four years for Espinoza, she has also lettered each year and made first-team All-Section three years in a row.

Espinoza said the team is really going to miss Ruiz next year because of her contributions to the team and program as well.

“She keeps everybody together,” Espinoza said. “She’s almost like a team mom.”

Ruiz’s mother agreed that St. Mary’s softball program has played a huge role in Ruiz’s life, and that it has allowed her to become a better player and person as well.

“It has allowed her to grow into a mature person, just being responsible, looking at trying to go to school and getting practice done,” Ruiz’s mother said. “She has AP classes, she’s a smart girl and I think playing ball has helped her keep her focus up. I think it’s helped her quite a bit, and I’m really really proud of her.”

By Miranda Tomlinson is a journalism student at Arizona State. 

(Danielle Ruiz)