SAN ANTONIO – After five seasons of playing every game on the road, the Texas A&M University–San Antonio softball team will finally play a true home game on Jan. 31.
Patience, for the Jaguars, has paid off.
The Jaguars’ first home game marks a milestone for a team that previously relied on borrowed fields across San Antonio and the surrounding areas.
“We’re excited to show up and show out for our first home game coming up at the end of the month,” head coach Nicole Dame said. “To be able to call it home — a place for our fans, a fan experience — and bring our families out here. I know my family is coming out here, so that’s 30 people already.”
Before the completion of their own facility, the Jaguars spent several seasons asking other schools for permission to use their fields on game days.
“We relied on a lot of hospitality from local schools,” Dame said. “We played at St. Mary’s, we played at the complex, we played at the Southwest complex.”
The team often had to remind opponents that the field was not their own.
“We did have to say, ‘We’re playing off-site. This is not our home. Please don’t get us kicked off. We want to be able to come back,’” Dame said.
Now, with a field to call their own, Dame said the team has taken a noticeable step forward.
“They’ve been out here more — they can come and hit,” she said. “They’re kind of like field rats right now. They’re just always out here.”
Second baseman Tori Campos said the access has led to more repetitions and improvement.
“We got a lot more reps in, for sure,” Campos said. “If it’s before or after practice, we’re staying, hitting in the cages or getting front toss, getting more reps on defense.”
The Jaguars are one of just two teams in their conference with a turf field. Campos said the team has embraced its season motto: “Be invested.”
“We’re doing the extra that we need to do to be successful,” she said.
The university will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new facility before the home opener. The Jaguars will face Oklahoma Panhandle State University at noon on Jan. 31.
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