Last August, Seryna Esparza wasn’t sure if she was going to accept a scholarship offer to play softball at Coppin State University, a Division I program in Baltimore.
Even though it was her lone D-I offer, the 2022 Hollister High graduate had a bit of trepidation of being so far from home. Esparza decided to head to the East Coast and things couldn’t have turned out any better in the recently completed 2023 season.
The sweet-swinging lefty first baseman earned Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference third team honors after leading the Eagles in batting average (.353), hits (41), doubles (nine), home runs (three), RBI (18), total bases (59), slugging percentage (.509) and on-base percentage (.429) while starting all 40 games. Her .353 average is the second best by a freshman in program history.
“I would say the season definitely exceeded my expectations,” she said. “I wasn’t even sure as a freshman if I was going to be playing. But the key was working hard and supporting my teammates because there were times when one of us would have a hard time and we’d help each other through that, and stuff like that would keep my spirits up.”
Esparza didn’t take long to make an impact, hitting a two-run home run in the second at-bat of her collegiate career, a 6-3 season-opening win over Bryant University on March 4.
“I was definitely super excited,” she said. “I guess when I hit it, I wasn’t sure how far it was going to go.”
Esparza’s transition to the Division I level was made smoother by the fall ball season, which sort of mimics the real spring season as teams typically play a bunch of simulated/exhibition games to go along with practices and workouts.
“Fall ball helped me get ready for the season, but it was still a pretty hard transition because of the different type of competition,” she said.
However, the most difficult transition for Esparza was being away from home. She admitted it took a couple of months for her to acclimate and get over being homesick, but being a Division I athlete helps because it keeps her busy.
Esparza’s mom, Janna, also proved to be a steadying force in her transition.
“She kept on telling me to stay focused and look forward to the time I would be able to come home for the holidays,” Seryna said. “It was really nice to have that support from her and just staying in contact with my family helped.”
Esparza will be staying in Hollister for the summer and is on the tail end of her recovery period from the softball season. Once she gets back into a regular routine, Esparza said she’s got a couple of things to work on.
“I’m hoping to improve on the little things,” she said. “Being able to make adjustments in my at-bats quicker and things like that.”
Esparza’s recruitment to Coppin State last year came late because she was one of those talented athletes who didn’t receive a lot of looks despite putting up quality numbers in her junior season. However, a productive season during the summer club season put her on the radar of the Coppin State coaches and after they offered, it was up to Esparza to pull the trigger.
“I’m definitely glad I ended up going,” she said. “It’s been a really good experience for me and I’m looking forward to having just as good if not better season next year.”
