TAMPA, Fla. — USF softball head coach Ken Eriksen gets straight to the point when he describes junior infielder Kathy Garcia-Soto.
"She’s a ballplayer."
Kathy is a two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year. She credits her high level of play with her refusal to settle.
"There’s always room for improvement. There’s always something you can work on," the Tampa native said. "Constantly pushing yourself to be better. There’s always somewhere to be. There’s always something more to do."
"She plays shortstop. She plays second base. Hits from both sides of the plate—you add enthusiasm. She’s so humble, too," Eriksen added. The word "humble" might be an understatement. Kathy, a Jefferson High School grad, never points to herself when talking about the game she loves.
"Doing something for my team. Getting the outs that my team needs. That’s what gives me satisfaction. That I’m able to help the team out no matter what," she said.
Camille Ortiz-Martinez is Kathy's teammate at USF and on the Puerto Rican national team. She feels lucky to be able to go through a unique softball journey with someone as selfless as her friend.
"It’s been amazing. [Kathy's] a great person to be around," Camille smiled. "Especially playing this game, and getting to know and learn the game together has been amazing."
Kathy's most important teammate isn't on the USF roster. It's her older brother, Christian. Christian, 26, lives with cerebral palsy, and he's been beating the medical odds his entire life. He loves the game of softball, and he loves watching his favorite player in action.
"She can make any type of play," he said frankly. "If it’s in the infield, if it’s in the hole, she can get to it. She’s amazing."
"He’s always been supporting me. When I was little, up until now, obviously," Kathy added. "No matter what sport I played, he was always the one cheering me on."
Kathy and her teammates have done their share of cheering as well. They attend Christian's Special Olympic events whenever time allows, something that surprised him at first.
"I didn’t expect her to go to my event with all the girls. I was like, 'Are you freaking kidding me?'" he recalled.
"He supports her in everything, and she supports him. It’s just very nice and inspiring to see," Ortiz-Martinez added.
"It’s kind of like a motivation," Kathy said when talking about what it means to play in front of her brother. "Do what he couldn’t do, and make him proud."
USF opens NCAA Tournament play Friday at noon, when they take on Auburn in the double-elimination Tallahassee Regional.
