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Here’s our TLI for Monday, Sept. 19, 2022:
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TEAM SPOTLIGHT: ATHLETICS MERCADO 16U-FRAUSTO
Jesse Frausto coaches the 16U club out of Texas.
TEAM SPOTLIGHT Q&A
When did the team/program start and how/why did it come to be? This young and very talented team is comprised of both 2024-2025 Grads. Coach Jesse took over the team two years ago and has developed and added key players to this already solid, talented team to be one of the top teams in Texas and the nation.
Where are you based? Where do your athletes come from? The team is in the North Texas Dallas Forth-Worth region and comprised of the local talent.
What was the purpose of creating the team? The vision of this Athletics Mercado NTX organization with the mentorship of David Mercado and Brian Tidd is to create a winning culture and develop disciplined student athletes who will be successful on the field and off the field. We want to develop confident and disciplined student athletes to get them recruited to play at the next level.
What have been some of your successes in terms of winning or placing at events? A key moment in this team’s history was getting a Tier 2 top 3 finish at the Alliance Nationals. It was a huge accomplishment for this first-year 16U team. (And a) Top 10 in the Team 1 Elite Invite.
What makes the organization unique? Athletics Mercado has won many national championships at all age levels and the organizational support is top notch.
What’s your softball background and how did you get to the point of leading the team? I have coached softball for over 15 years at the highest competitive level.
How many teams are there in the organization overall? We have 25 teams in Athletics Mercado NTX (DFW area)/Emilio Lopez (AM-Houston) has 6-7 teams/Jim Bonola (AM-South) has 8-9 teams
Has there been a key moment or defining experience in the team’s history? We have had some great games against some of the top teams in the nation. Some good wins that really showed what this teams all about.
What is your primary focus or goal with this team? Our primary focus is to make sure these student athletes get the opportunities to get recruited and play softball at the next level.
What do you think are the strengths of the team? The strength of this team is that we always have an underdog mentality and are hungry and driven to fulfill our purpose and compete for a national championship. This team is very versatile and can beat you with small ball and speed. They can also go yard on you and find a gap. Accompanied by solid pitching, we seek to exploit team’s weakness with athleticism and intelligence on the base paths.
If there is one thing you would say that separates you from other club programs, what would it be? What separate us from other teams is our practice habits. Athletics Mercado’s practice model and system is what separates us from other teams and it becomes evident when you play us. We demand excellence from our athletes.
ROSTER
- Sabrina Wick, 2024, SS/CF
- Adeija Montalvo, 2024, 2B/OF
- Julissa Hernandez, 2024, C/3B
- Grace Dugan, 2024, C/OF,,
- Addison Buoni, 2025, OF/1B/3B
- Kassidy Bell, 2024, RHP
- Luna Flores, 2025, 2B/UT
- Kami Owen, 2024, OF
- Ava Eldridge, 2024, RHP/1B
- Elizabeth Bobbitt, 2024, 3B/OF
- Shae Stone, 2024, OF
- Jaley James, 2025, C/3B
- Jackie Purtell, 2024, C/3B
- Rachel Millan, 2025, MI/UT
- Lynzee Hague, 2024, OF
- Riley Riordan, 2024 P/1B
- Vyanna Quezada, 2024, OF
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