Shortstop Jessica Tejas, who had a county-best 23 RBIs, 18 steals last season, signed with the University of Tampa.
By FRANK PASTOR, Times Staff Writer
Published November 15, 2005
LAND O'LAKES - At first, Jessica Tejas didn't want to stay close to home. The Land O'Lakes senior sought the full college experience and, to her, that meant going away to school.
But after meeting University of Tampa softball coach Leslie Kanter and looking into the school's sports management program, which includes opportunities to work with the Buccaneers and Yankees, Tejas reconsidered.
Surrounded by her parents, Carlos and Claribel, Land O'Lakes coach Jamie Martin, former Gators coach Mark Rulison, Tampa Mustangs travel coach Bob Dawson and athletic director Chuck Moehle, Tejas signed with Division II Tampa on Monday in principal Ray Bonti's office.
"It's the culmination of all my hard work, all the summers I've missed playing softball, all the practices that I go to, all the training, all the money my parents spent," Tejas said. "It's hard to realize that you're not going to be doing any of that anymore."
Tejas considered Rollins, Florida International, Emory (Ga.) and Babson (Mass.). By signing early, she can enjoy her senior season without having to answer questions about where she is going to school or trying to impress college coaches, Martin said.
"It's like taking a ton of bricks off your shoulders," said Martin, who graduated from Saint Leo in 2001. "I've been in her shoes before. When I played in high school, I was always thinking, "Where am I going?' and it's just a big sigh of relief that you know where you are going and that it's a good, quality institution with a good, quality athletic program."
Tejas, one of the county's top shortstops, was a Times' All-Pasco second-team selection after a junior season in which she batted .408 with eight doubles, three triples and 26 runs scored. Her 23 RBIs and 18 steals tied for most in the county.
She expects to back up at shortstop or play a utility role at Tampa, which went 19-22 last season.
Tejas has a 4.2 weighted cumulative grade point average. Her interest in sports management was sparked in part by the fact her uncle, Al Avila, is vice president and assistant general manager of the Detroit Tigers.
"He gets to travel everywhere, and I really liked the people he got to meet and the opportunities that he gets to go and see," Tejas said. "But I also want to make sure I have that strong business background in case sports doesn't work out, because it's hard for a woman to be in that arena."
Tejas' signing comes four months after Land O'Lakes graduate Samantha Cronk signed with Western Kentucky.
"We'd been kind of stagnant, and then Sam and now (Tejas) and, especially signing early to such a good school, it's starting to raise the bar a little bit," Martin said. "I think we'll get noticed a little bit more."
