EPT Faces off the field: UTEP softball's Zaylie Calderon
In four years at UTEP, Zaylie Calderon has emerged from a utility player with a promising bat into the Miners' No. 1 pitcher.
Calderon leads the team in innings pitched, earned run average and wins as she is 4-3 after the conference opening series against UTSA.
The Miners are off to a 9-14 start, a significant improvement over past seasons, and hosts Western Kentucky in a three-game set this Friday through Sunday.
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How has the season gone so far and why is UTEP better than it has been in the past?
It's going pretty good. I think our team is pretty solid all the way around. We've been working hard. We've had a lot of close games but I think it's showed all of our character and how hard we push.
Honestly I think just trusting in the coaches and trusting in everything we've worked on, especially last fall and over the summer, has made us better. As a team I think all of our components are starting to slowly come together, so that's good.
You only have one at-bat this season. What was the decision on narrowing down your focus to pitching?
I spend the majority of my time pitching. I hit, but not as often. It's tough dividing your game in that sense. Spending more time pitching, that's where we knew I was needed.
What led you from your hometown Tucson to El Paso four years ago?
It's not too far from Tucson. I also have family in El Paso and in Tularosa, New Mexico so it was a pretty easy decision. My parents went to New Mexico State. I also chose the program, it fit me as well as it could.
How would you describe your four years here?
It's been an adventure to say the least. We had the previous coach here, then coach (TJ) Hubbard got hired. It's been an adventure, a lot of people in and out. But it's been a nice run to say the least.
UTEP had a coaching change within months of your arrival before the 2020 season. What was that like?
It's tough, but I picked this university so when the coach left, I still wanted to be here. And the girls here, the overall mission for this program, was to get better and make the conference tournament. I knew that was still important for us.
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How did you get your start in softball?
I played T-ball when I was 5, then moved over to softball when I was 6. I've been doing it ever since. I played basketball in high school, but other than that I've always played softball. The competitiveness drew me to it, I fell in love with it. My dad and I shared a love of baseball and it carried over to softball.
What direction is the team headed?
We've moved in an upward direction. We're more competitive, we're more of a contender, especially against the bigger opponents. Our goal right now is to make conference (the postseason tournament). We need to make sure the pitching, hitting and defense is all clicking at the same time.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: EPT Faces off the field: UTEP softball player Zaylie Calderon
