Lady Sharks Banking On Freshman From Coral Reef To Provide Stability On The Mound
Pitching wasn’t a strength for the Miami Dade College softball team last season. In 29 games, the Lady Sharks allowed 208 hits, 175 runs and posted a 5.34 team earned run average. All of that contributed to a lackluster 10-19 record.
This year, the team will count on 5-foot-5-inch freshman Brianna Romaguera from Coral Reef Senior High School to turn their fortunes on the mound around.
Romaguera won 11 games as a junior for the Barracudas. She only pitched in 8.2 innings last year, due to an abbreviated COVID-19 high school schedule, but flashed an impressive 2.42 ERA.
“It’s a different game from high school to college. It’s a lot more innings. You’re facing different competition,” said Lady Sharks’ Head Coach Gina De Agüero. “But I think with her work ethic, she’ll come out and do well.”
The 18-year old, who also plays outfield, was born and raised in Miami to Cuban parents. Growing up, she enjoyed dancing and figure skating, but fell in love with softball after watching her mother, Arlene, play at a co-ed league at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park in 2010.
When she was eight, Romaguera played softball in the recreational league at Palmetto Bay Park but switched to the Miami Stingrays—a travel ball team at the facility—a year later. She played with the Stingrays for seven years before joining another travel team, the Diamond Dusters, in 2018.
In addition to travel ball, Romaguera also practiced the sport at Arvida Middle School in Kendall for three years before playing on the varsity team at Coral Reef from 2016-2020.
Romaguera earned the team’s Pitcher of the Year award twice and was named First-Team and Second-team All-Dade in 2018 and 2019. In her junior campaign, she posted a .379 batting average and won 11 games as a pitcher.
She committed to MDC in December of 2019, three months before the Lady Shark’s season was canceled due to the pandemic. The right-hander, who is majoring in nursing, will be counted on to provide solid pitching and bring a positive mentality as the team attempts to qualify for the State Tournament for the first time since 2017.
“Obviously her pitching is very good, but she’s also gonna bring fun. She’s gonna make sure that energy stays high,” said Lady Sharks’ infielder Lindsey Arana, who played travel ball with Romaguera for more than five years before joining her at MDC. “She’s a very energetic person and she brings it onto the field every time she’s out there.”
The Lady Sharks begin their season on Jan. 29 at the JUCO-Kick-Off Tournament in Clearwater versus Louisburg College at 12:30 p.m.
