Amanda Saldivar came to Western Nebraska Community College with hopes of playing softball at a four-year institution.
Saldivar achieved that honor Tuesday, signing a letter of intent to continue playing in Nebraska at York College. York is an NAIA university and a place that Saldivar is excited in attending.
"It is a small community like Scottsbluff, which I like," the El Paso, Texas, native said. "The coach is in her second year so she is rebuilding the program and I can go in and contribute to help the tradition get there."
Saldivar will take a lot of energy and fire to the up-and-coming York program. She said that she now knows what it takes to succeed in athletics at the college level after attending a two-year college.
"I now know what to expect and what to expect from myself," she said. "And that is to give 110 percent in everything I do and give nothing less."
WNCC coach Maria Winn-Ratliff said that Saldivar will give the York program some leadership and some speed in the outfield.
"Obviously her speed and, whether she wants to admit it or not, she has some leadership skills that are interesting because she is kind of the goof off of the team," Winn-Ratliff said. "She kind of gets everyone laughing and is obviously the fan favorite if you have been to any of our games. Her personality is that of which she is the kid that will work extremely hard and do whatever we ask her to do. She has been our bullpen catcher for a big part of the season."
Saldivar's role on the Cougars this season is varied. She comes into run periodically and has seen a few instances in outfield. She also, like Winn-Ratliff said, has been the bullpen catcher. At just 4 foot, 11 inches, Saldivar has a bundle of fight and is not afraid to slide head first into home plate.
Saldivar said there is a lot she has learned from playing at WNCC.
"I have learned that my body can handle a lot more than what I thought I could," she said. "I also have learned that I will miss the softball tradition here because that is pretty big to me. The community of Scottsbluff has become a big part of my life."
Saldivar was looking at a few other schools, but when it came down to it, York College just won out.
"I will get to meet new people and have a new team chemistry," she said. "It is just another place to get my education while playing ball."
Saldivar is the second of six sophomores on this year's team to ink to continue playing. Jacqui Cappuccilli signed earlier this year with Central Methodist University in Missouri. Winn-Ratliff said that more four-year schools are starting to look harder at the players that WNCC recruits since they have been to the national tournament a couple of times.
"We have had some ladies leave and have success at the next level," she said. "Winning obviously helps but now that we have got nationally recognized and been to the national tournament a couple of years, coaches lean on us a little bit more then what they have in the past. They realize that we just don't have players that are good on the field, but we have players that are good people, good students and good athletes."
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