Sotelo signs to play Division I softball
Days before the start of her senior softball season, Andrea Sotelo suffered an ACL tear in her right knee.
The injury sidelined Sotelo for her final year of action at Imperial High School and left a question mark on her future in the sport.
“It was pretty depressing, not being able to play,” Sotelo, now 19 said regarding the injury. “I’d been on the team since my freshman year, so to not play my last year was really hard. That year we did really well and won league, so I was bummed out that I missed being a part of it.”
At the time of her injury, Sotelo was set to attend Yavapai College in Prescott, Ariz., and said she dreaded making the call to her future coach informing him of the injury.
“I was scared to tell him,” she recalled. “I actually thought about not telling him, but I knew I had to. They just went with it and took a chance on me.”
The junior college’s gamble on the Imperial graduate paid off as Sotelo went on to help the Roughriders to a combined overall record of 99-24 during her two seasons on the team.
In her freshman campaign, Sotelo finished with a .447 batting average, 97 hits, 18 doubles, three triples, 19 home runs and 67 RBIs.
She earned All-Arizona Community College Athletic Conference second team honors, was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association Div. I All-Region team and also helped Yavapai to a fourth-place finish in the NJCAA tourney.
Sotelo’s sophomore year was equally if not more impressive than her freshman season as she finished with a .567 batting average, 102 hits, 28 doubles, 20 home runs and 70 RBIs.
Sotelo cemented her name in the college’s history books as she set a new record in career home runs (39) and career batting average (.501).
Her batting average was the highest in the ACCAC this season and in the NJCAA and brought her new and repeat honors at the end of the season.
The first baseman earned NJCAA Div. I All-Region honors, NJCAA First Team All-American honors, National Fastpitch Coaches Association First Team All-American and All-Region First Team honors.
The accolades helped push Sotelo to her ultimate goal of playing NCAA Div. I softball as she signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
“I emailed the coach and within about 30 minutes I’d received a response,” Sotelo said. “About three days after that I sent for a visit.”
Sotelo said a full-ride offer was on the table before her visit and her decision to accept came shortly after.
“The coaches made me feel welcomed and I liked the campus,” she said. “It felt like home and the atmosphere felt good. It looked like what I’d dreamed a Div. I school felt like.”
Sotelo will be joining a Maverick squad that finished the season with a 15-30 overall record and a 6-8 Summit League conference record, finishing in fifth place in the seven-team conference.
While the decision to attend UNO will pull her far from home, Sotelo may have the opportunity to compete in her home state next season if the Mavericks compete in the Stanford Nike Invitational as they did this season.
“Honestly, it feels pretty sweet,” said Sotelo of her upcoming move to Nebraska. “To go from not playing my senior year to getting a Div. I offer ... it’s a blessing.”