2023-09-23 20:40:39
Jessica Delatorre will play behind the plate for the North Dakota State Bisons next fall.
Jessica Delatorre has announced her decision to continue her academic and athletic career at North Dakota State University.
A catcher and middle infielder for the All American Sports Academy team out of Pleasant Hill, California, Jessica has played competitively since she was four years old. For a long time, she knew that playing at the collegiate level was a dream of hers, and on September 9th, Coach Darren Mueller made that dream a reality.
According to Jessica’s club coach, Shannon Mortimer, the student-athlete’s recruitment process that eventually led to a Division I commitment was not without its pits and valleys.
“Although Jess had all the qualities to being a great recruit and set the bar high when it came to the definition of a student-athlete, she was not high on coaches list of top recruits,” Coach Mortimer shared. “We kept hearing feedback on the overvalue of size and stature when it came to the catching position.”
Despite being looked over for her size, Jessica continued training and excelling on the field as a result. A three-year varsity starter at College Park High School, she’s been named to the 1st Team All-League for her region and has been honored with the NCS Scholar Athlete Award each year she’s played on the team. Additionally, Jessica holds a 4.67 GPA and places just as much attention on academic excellence.
Jessica posed in her future uniform after accepting Coach Mueller’s offer.
Her efforts started to look like they were truly going to pay off when North Dakota State’s coaching staff showed up at her game.
“Jess stayed steadfast in her belief that she is very qualified to play at the next level and that the right coaches will come along and see all the qualities she has to offer,” Coach Mortimer recalled. “NDSU came out to a lot of games to watch Jess. The detailed feedback they reported on her solidified, to me, that they actually ‘saw’ Jess and her abilities to play in her own skin—not her inability to fit a conventional image or persona.”
During a visit to campus earlier this month, Jessica accepted an offer to spend her next four years playing for the Bisons.
“The coaches and the softball program completely sold me,” commented Jessica when asked what she loved about the school. “Coach Mueller has developed an amazing culture there and you can just feel it from the moment you step onto the field.”
Jessica plans to study nursing at North Dakota State and will begin her collegiate softball career in the fall of 2024.
— Regan Weekly/Extra Inning Softball
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