Marauder to Aggie: Rivas signs with New Mexico State
Surrounded by friends, family and many others, Monache High School’s standout pitcher Chloe Rivas signed her letter of intent and officially became an Aggie of New Mexico State University Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s like knowing a movie star because she’s going to the top level of softball,” MHS head softball coach Dave Koontz said. “Seriously, it’s like knowing a [professional] athlete because that is the highest level that they can go to and I’m just busting with pride. That’s the biggest thing, I’m so proud of her.”
The senior verbally committed to NCAA Division I New Mexico State in 2016, when she was offered a scholarship on a visit to the university by head coach Kathy Rodolph. For then-sophomore Rivas, it was a lock because of the loyalty she saw in the coaches and program.
“They’re very loyal, and it’s student before athlete,” Rivas said. Besides playing softball, Rivas plans to major in criminal justice and become a crime scene technician.
Last season, the Aggies (2925, 11-4 WAC) won the Western Athletic Conference and qualified for the Women’s College World Series. Unfortunately New Mexico State lost 11-0 to secondseeded Arizona (50-7) and 8-4 to St. Francis (48-10) in the doubleelimination opening rounds. Behind Rivas, Monache has made three straight trips to the CIF Central Section Division II playoffs and back-to-back appearances in the Valley finals where the top-seeded, co-east Yosemite League champion Marauders (29-2, 9-1 EYL) took down the sixth-seeded Apaches of Sanger (21-11-1) 6-1 to win the Valley championship last season.
As a pitcher, Rivas’ command of the game is unmistakable. Over three seasons in the blue and gold, Rivas has an ERA of 1.50, 496 strikeouts with an opponent batting average of .171 in 90 games and 442.2 innings pitched. Last season she threw her first no-hitter in a 4-0 five-inning shut of Garces Memorial (9-20) in a tournament on March 9. Of the 17 Rams’ batters she faced, she retired 10 and walked two.
But the mound isn’t the only place Chloe is tough to face, she’s a power hitter, too. With a batting average of .429 through three seasons, Chloe has also totaled 126 hits, 102 RBIS and 10 home runs. In the last two seasons, she’s only struck out seven times.
“In softball if you don’t have a pitcher that’s a step above, you can’t compete at the highest levels,” Koontz said. “When we lose her we’re still going to be an excellent team, we’re still going to be a solid program, but she’s a once-in-a-career-type
pitcher.”
Koontz added, “Replacing her won’t happen. You can’t replace Joe Montana, you can’t replace Brett Farve. You can’t replace the best.”
Prior to her signing, Koontz, MHS athletic director A.J. Watts, MHS Principal Eric Barba and Rivas’ mother Amy Rivas spoke to a crowd of around 30 people about the commitment, dedication and sacrifices Chloe has made to her sport and her team, that alongside her exceptional talent, have allowed her to play at the collegiate level.
“Today’s a special day for her and she’s not [even] able to celebrate with her friends,” Chloe’s
father, Mike Rivas, said. “She’s leaving after she gets out of school and we have to drive an hour just for her to get to practice. There’s just numerous events that she’s missed.”
One of those events missed was her best friend’s sweet 16 birthday party that happened to be on the same day of her visit to New Mexico State.
“That was the day that she got seen by New Mexico,” Mike said. “So if she didn’t make the commitment to miss that event, this like my wife said, would’ve probably never happened. She’s missed numerous birthday parties for her nephews and nieces, birthday parties
with her friends, dances, proms, Christmas balls.”
Chloe is ready for the change, but there’s no doubt that there’s a lot she will miss including her family, friends, teammates, coaches and all the memories she has created at Monache.
“Leaving them is probably going to be a big transition,” she said. “Everyone’s one big happy family here at Monache, especially the class of 2018. The ’18 class, we’re all pretty tight and everybody knows each other and everybody supports one another. And I think just the camaraderie here is amazing and I think that’s what I’m going to miss most.”