Senior Catcher Heidi Jaquez Leads Huskies in 2020
(Note: Since this story was written,听 spring sports were canceled. We salute all athletes!)
By Russ听Reneau听
One hundred thirty-two games in three seasons. Sure, that鈥檚 the number of games HBU Softball has played, but it is also the number of consecutive games in which senior Heidi Jaquez has started and strapped on her catcher鈥檚 gear during her collegiate career.听
The Wharton, Texas, native hit .277 with seven home runs, three doubles, two triples, 19 RBIs and a team-leading 27 runs as the Huskies鈥� went 23-23, but missed qualifying for the Southland Conference Tournament by one game, which has left the team hungry to raise the bar in 2020.听
鈥淚 think this team and this year we are a lot closer than we were last year; we have better communication on the field and outside of practice,鈥� Jaquez said. 鈥淚 definitely think we all want to be successful as much as the person next to us does and to go to the conference tournament, because we haven鈥檛 been in a while. I know if we keep pushing hard, hard, in February 鈥� we have four tournaments back-to-back, which is wild 鈥� I think we鈥檙e going to have a great year.鈥�
Jaquez and infielder Amber听Lotz听are the four-year mainstays with the Huskies and are joined by outfielders Haley Melton and Riley Bullen to comprise the senior class. This HBU squad is still very young with 10 underclassmen (six freshman and four sophomores) and four juniors, but Jaquez is happy for everyone to share in the identity of this program. 
鈥淲hen I first came to HBU, I was not a leader. I thought that was the older girls鈥� job and 鈥業鈥檓 just coming听in,听I don鈥檛 know what to do.鈥� I don鈥檛 think there is necessarily one leader on a team, but as seniors, we work really well听together听and the underclassmen look up to us in a good way. I think that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e trying to do is set a good听example听so people know听what to do next year and it just keeps going on and on and on.鈥澨�
The Huskies have not only grown as players during the offseason, but also off-the-field with some fun team-building exercises.听
鈥淲e鈥檙e definitely growing as a team, and physically, we are all there. We all have the physical abilities we need to make it to the conference tournament,鈥� Jaquez said. 鈥淲hat I like about this year is (athletic performance) coach Charlie (Rhea) is making us do this 鈥榞ood word,鈥� so every day somebody has a 鈥榞ood word鈥� they preach, in a way, on how they feel. It鈥檚 really helping us as a team to grow closer.鈥澨�
Heading into her final season at HBU, Jaquez believes she knows what it will take for the Huskies to achieve their goals.听
鈥淲e have to fight until the end and push all the way through,鈥� Jaquez said. 鈥淥ur schedule is super busy, but we are together all the听time听and everyone wants it as bad as the next person, so there should be no problem fighting until the end. There鈥檚 going to be down sides in life in general and in the game 鈥� that鈥檚 just how it is 鈥� but you have to know how to come back from those, and the main thing is to not give up when we鈥檙e down and keep pushing to the final out.鈥澨�