Arizona State junior shortstop Jade Gortarez made herself a fan favorite with her athletic plays on the softball field last season, but she has elevated her game even more this summer, joining USA Baseball's Women's National Team this summer.
The Women's National Team just finished their training for the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup, and will kick off the event on Wednesday against Puerto Rico. We reached out to Jade who is with the team in Florida, and has been playing exceptionally well through the last few tuneup games, including hitting a walk off winner against Canada in last night's final exhibition game. Check out the full Q&A below;
For our fans that don't know, how did you get your start on the baseball field?
"I started playing baseball when I was three years old and continued playing in high school as well. I have only played two seasons of softball my entire life!"
How did you get linked up with the national team?
"I began my career with Team USA in 2014. I have competed in World Cup tournaments in Japan and South Korea as well as playing in the Pan American Games Qualifiers in the Dominican Republic and the PanAm Games in Canada in 2015!"
How can your experience playing with team USA translate in your growth as a Sun Devil?
"The level of discipline, maturity, and how Team USA players carry ourselves is something that I try to bring back to ASU each season. There are many expectations on and off the field that play a huge role in being an elite athlete and a respectable person off the field."
What does it mean to you to be able to play for team USA?
"Representing Team USA and playing for the name on the front of our jerseys is a feeling like no other. Being one of 20 of the best female baseball players in the nation is a huge honor. Nothing compares to playing for the best country in the world!"
With school starting back up, how do you juggle your responsibilities with your team, as well as being a successful student-athlete at ASU?
"Being a student-athlete as well as a national team athlete with the start of school is tough but I put as much effort into academics as I would on a softball or baseball field. Student always comes before athlete in that phrase for a reason!"
What does a typical day with the US National team look like for you?
"Our training schedule is a little more packed than our World Cup schedule but right now we are waking up, eating breakfast, then having a 2 hour morning practice.We have player downtime after that (which I will usually fill with doing some homework), and we have a night game to finish of the day! We wake up and do it all over again!"
The Women's National Team just finished their training for the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup, and will kick off the event on Wednesday against Puerto Rico. We reached out to Jade who is with the team in Florida, and has been playing exceptionally well through the last few tuneup games, including hitting a walk off winner against Canada in last night's final exhibition game. Check out the full Q&A below;
For our fans that don't know, how did you get your start on the baseball field?
"I started playing baseball when I was three years old and continued playing in high school as well. I have only played two seasons of softball my entire life!"
How did you get linked up with the national team?
"I began my career with Team USA in 2014. I have competed in World Cup tournaments in Japan and South Korea as well as playing in the Pan American Games Qualifiers in the Dominican Republic and the PanAm Games in Canada in 2015!"
How can your experience playing with team USA translate in your growth as a Sun Devil?
"The level of discipline, maturity, and how Team USA players carry ourselves is something that I try to bring back to ASU each season. There are many expectations on and off the field that play a huge role in being an elite athlete and a respectable person off the field."
What does it mean to you to be able to play for team USA?
"Representing Team USA and playing for the name on the front of our jerseys is a feeling like no other. Being one of 20 of the best female baseball players in the nation is a huge honor. Nothing compares to playing for the best country in the world!"
With school starting back up, how do you juggle your responsibilities with your team, as well as being a successful student-athlete at ASU?
"Being a student-athlete as well as a national team athlete with the start of school is tough but I put as much effort into academics as I would on a softball or baseball field. Student always comes before athlete in that phrase for a reason!"
What does a typical day with the US National team look like for you?
"Our training schedule is a little more packed than our World Cup schedule but right now we are waking up, eating breakfast, then having a 2 hour morning practice.We have player downtime after that (which I will usually fill with doing some homework), and we have a night game to finish of the day! We wake up and do it all over again!"