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Kaylee Cavasos was a little stressed out over the summer.
A new NCAA rule that went into effect earlier this year barred coaches from any recruiting contacting prospective student-athletes prior to Sept. 1 of their junior year. Cavazos knew she was drawing interest from Division I schools. She just didn’t know how interested they were.
Cavazos had been to multiple camps with UT Arlington head coach Peejay Brun. She’d always enjoyed the connection she had with Brun and envisioned herself playing with the Mavericks.
The junior ended up receiving offers from Lamar, Houston Baptist, Our Lady of the Lake, and University of Arkansas-Monticello. But when Brun put a scholarship from UTA on the table, Cavazos couldn’t refuse.
“It's like a family atmosphere and you get along with other sports, too,” Cavazos said. “And it's really nice over there. They put a lot of money into the softball program and the school. And they have a lot of help for their athletes school-wise.”
“I know she took a lot of time and effort to decide which school she wanted to attend because she had some good offers from some good coaches and some good programs,” San Marcos head coach Catherine Stoughton said.
Cavazos has been a softball player since she was six years old. She joined the Bombers Fastpitch select team when she turned 12 and hasn’t let go of the sport since.
“I just fell in love with it and I never wanted to stop,” Cavazos said.
Stoughton moved the shortstop up to varsity last season.
“She is very committed to being the best ballplayer she can be. She's always doing extra. Even during the season, sometimes we have to slow her down because she's doing too much. She does a lot of extra training on the side, she's always doing extra work,” Stoughton said. “Sometimes you can't coach that in a student-athlete … That competitive spirit, I think, is something that is a catalyst for her ability and the way she plays on the field.”
Cavazos will look to help the Lady Rattlers build on their 2019 season, in which the team finished 12-18 overall and 3-10 in district play. The junior is excited to continue sharpening her skills as she prepares to join the Mavericks. She plans on adding a lot of strength before graduating in 2021.
The summer was a stressful one for Cavazos. But with her commitment out of the way, softball can be a little more relaxing again.
“I couldn’t have done it with my coaches and my family and all the support I’ve had,” Cavazos said.
