Today’s spotlight takes us to Texas where a versatile freshman has committed to a university in-state while continuing to play on a top club team out of Georgia!  Definitely keep an eye on this excellent student-athlete who is SEC-bound…

 

Name:  GABBY MORENO
Grad Year: 2017
Pos: IF/OF
High School: Montgomery (Texas)
GPA: 3.975
Club: Georgia Impact-Jeffreys
College: Texas A&M

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: So how does a girl in Texas come to play for one of the top club teams in Georgia?
Gabby Moreno: I started to play for the Georgia Impact in 2012, and when we found out my dad was transferred to Houston last June, Coach Rick (Jeffreys) and Coach Will (Tomasello) asked me to continue playing with them!  My dad is a pilot so the decision was an easy one!  I love my coaches and teammates!

 

SSS.com:  Coach Jeffreys of the Georgia Impact says you “get it,” on and off the field… describe your perspective on softball and what your perspective is on working hard to succeed.
GM: I believe that hard work always pays off.  This philosophy has been taught to me from a very young age, both in school and in any sport I participated in.  Great results are proven to me again and again, with the latest being my commitment to A&M.

 

SSS.com:  You’re also 3rd in your class of 650… what do you attribute your academic success?  Any tips you can give other student-athletes?
GM: I am still working on this, but time-management is key.  If you can learn to pay attention in class, do your homework, play a high-level sport and manage to have a little free time for family and friends you will always be successful at anything you do in life.

 

SSS.com: You’re staying in-state to play but Texas is so huge you could be 12 hours away from A&M!  How close is the university and was distance/staying close to home a factor in your decision?
GM: We are a stone’s throw away from A&M (about 45 minutes)!  When making my decision, distance was not a factor, but now that I have made my choice, it is awesome to be able to watch the team play every weekend.  I am very excited to start living the culture of the university I will attend in 3.5 years.

 

SSS.com: How did Coach Evans and staff come to discover you and then how long was it until they offered?
GM: When we found out we were moving to Houston, Coach Rick and my hitting coach, Ashlye Washington, contacted Coach Firnbach and she started watching me last summer at Atlanta Legacy and also at ASA Nationals.  Then when we moved to Houston, I picked up in the fall with the Sudden Impact and that coach, Tammie Davis, started communicating with Coach Evans.  I feel blessed to have so many people who believe in me and helped make this opportunity possible!  Coach Evans made an offer after my visit on March 19.

 

SSS.com: Was there one game or one particular moment you did something that you think won you your scholarship there?
GM: I don’t think there was any one thing that made this all happen.  I think it was a perfect combination of everything.  The A&M coaches got to watch me a lot and once my family and I met the entire staff at my visit we all knew it was a great fit!

 

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?  Also was there a moment when the light bulb went off and you knew for sure it was the school for you?
GM: I decided to commit after I completed all of my planned visits.  The decision was difficult because I had a few really great options.  I talked with all of the coaches one last time and really felt like Coach Evans wanted me not only for my athleticism, but for the whole person that I am and I guess that is when the light bulb went off.  My plan is to study engineering and A&M is an excellent school for that and Coach Evans supports my academic goals as well.

 

SSS.com: You’re only a freshman so you’re a few years away from playing at that level… what is a main area of your game you’d like to work on before then?
GM: I am a complex thinker and I tend to overthink the game too much.  Instead of breaking it up, I want to just trust my swing, throw and catch more.

 

SSS.com: You’re very versatile and can play many positions… What’s your favorite one to play and have the A&M coaches indicated where they may see you line up?
GM: My favorite position is on dirt or grass.  You can put me anywhere you want, and it instantly becomes my favorite place to play!  The coaches at A&M know this as well and I will play my heart out wherever they decide to put me.

 

SSS.com:  What do you think (or have others said) are your strengths as a softball player?
GM: Others say that my strength is my bat, but I think that I am a leader on the field.  I am a loud talker and a good communicator in the infield and outfield.

 

SSS.com: What’s been a top memory or two for you in your softball career?
GM: Definitely coming back and beating Florida Gold at Nationals last year.  They were a great second-year team and we were only a first-year team.  It was so exciting to be losing and come back to beat them which guaranteed us a 5^th place finish!  My adrenaline still gets going when I think about that!

 

Quick Hitters

 

What do you want to major in or what field do you want to work in?
I am a science and math geek and I want to me a mechanical engineer.

Fill in the blank… I’m most confident about my: _______________________
… humor!

If you had a magic wand and could fix one problem in the world, what would it be?
Stop animal abuse. I love animals and cannot even imagine why anyone would hurt them!

Favorite color:
Blue.

Thing I hate doing most:
Waking up early.

Dream vacation spot…
Beach house in Panama.

What type of bat do you use (and why do you like it)?
Xeno – because of its pop and light feel and Stealth – it feels controlled in my hands.

If you have a free Saturday night, would you rather go to a movie, hang out at the mall, go to a museum or do something else?
I would love to hang out at my best friend’s house, bake something, watch a movie and spend the night! I don’t have much free time, and if I had a free night and an opportunity to relax and have fun with a friend, I would.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I talk in my sleep, it’s loud and I have full conversations!

Describe your philosophy/motto on life:
Let go and let God!  I believe that He always has a plan for me, and sometimes I want to sit in the driver’s seat and take control, but my plan is nothing compared to His.

If you could spend an hour with one person alive or dead, who would it be and why?
Colton Burpo.  His amazing story in the book Heaven is for Real has inspired me in so many ways.  I would love to sit down with him and hear the whole story, first hand, of his trip to heaven and back.

What makes you love softball as much as you do?
The best feeling in the world to me is when hard work pays off.  When you work for something, whether it is as a team or individually, achieving it is the goal, and when the goal is reached, you make a new goal and the process begins again! The game is where I leave everything on the diamond and just have fun!

Other than family, who’s your hero or someone you look up to most?
My answer is a very recent one and it comes after watching A&M play this season.  I look up to Cassie Tysarczyk because to me she is the perfect athlete and teammate.  Her display of leadership on and off the field inspires me to be like her!