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Here’s our TLI for Monday, Oct. 10, 2022:
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EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT: XIANE ROMERO
Mississippi State-committed MIF Xiane Romero, #10 in the 2024 Extra Elite 100, recently talked to Extra Inning Softball about Athletics Mercado-Smith 18U, footwork and glovework, identifying pitches, Alliance Nationals, Hail State, the FBI, Javier Baez, “Criminal Minds” and tumbling.
EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: Xiane Romero
Hometown: Lake Elsinore, CA
High School: Temescal Canyon High
Club Team: Athletics Mercado-Smith 18U
Graduation Year: 2024
Height: 5-foot-4
Position: MIF
Nickname: Z
Twitter: @XianeRomero
Travel Ball Highlights/Summer Stats: .387 AVG, 21 RBIs, 31 runs, 6 HRs and 17 SBs.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? I became involved with Athletics Mercado right out of Rec ball. I played for Coach Brian Tidd my first three seasons. He helped me develop skill sets to become a great athlete. This last year Coach Rick Hovermale helped me build a better mindset to understand the game better. This academy prepares players to be the best and to perform at the highest level. That’s what makes this academy so special.
What are some of your training methods/training routine? A lot of footwork and glovework. I also do a lot of hitting drills. The little drills that focus on the specifics are a huge factor to my training.
What areas are you focusing on/trying to improve this fall? This fall, I am focusing on working with the spins and identifying the pitch early from a pitcher’s hand. Increasing my range is also a top priority. As a middle, it is huge for me in the game.
Can you tell us about your experience at Alliance Nationals this summer? Alliance was different for my team this year being in Indiana. (The) majority of us are from Cali, so time change and weather differences did affect us a little bit. We did come up short in Tier 1, but (we) worked through it and won the Tier 2 championship!
Which player/team was your toughest opponent and why? The toughest opponent for me this year was definitely myself.
Can you talk about why you committed to Mississippi State? Starkville felt like home. Starkville is a smaller hometown than where I am from and since I am going to be all the way across the country, I wanted something that felt like home. The coaches reminded me a lot of my Mercado coaches, so it instantly felt like the right choice. Everyone was very welcoming, the connection was almost instant.
What areas are you interested in future occupations and why? After college, my dream is to be part of the FBI. I plan to major in criminology.
Who is your sports hero and why? My sports hero is 100 percent (is) Javier Báez. He is the smoothest player I’ve seen and one day I dream to be as smooth as him.
What’s your favorite TV show to binge and why? My favorite TV show is definitely “Criminal Minds.” It opened up my mind to the FBI and pursuing a degree in criminology.
Do you have a secret talent/skill? My secret talent is I can tumble really well. Before I decided to play competitive softball, I tumbled for two years. I can do as many flips/tricks as you would see a cheerleader do.
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