HARLINGEN — For new head softball coach Nora Aguilar, coming home to Harlingen High was her calling.
The 2004 Lady Cardinals alumna is back where she once played and is eager to return the program back into a contender.
After high school, Aguilar spent three years playing softball for Texas A&M-Kingsville then spent two years as an assistant at RaymondvilleHigh School before landing the head gig at Harlingen High this past offseason.
“Two years ago, I lost my sister and on her tombstone it says, ‘I’ll be waiting for you at home,’ and the day that I got the phone call that I was hired (at Harlingen High) I was there at her grave,” Aguilar said. “Being able to come back home is awesome, I can’t even begin to explain. Once I saw it in the paper that the position was available, I got on line and I applied. I mean, who wouldn’t want to coach where they once played?”
The Lady Cards missed the playoffs last season but made it in 2016 under former head coach Kassandra Hernandez. This season Aguilar has a pair of juniors in pitcher/shortstop Carla Arellano and catcher Emily Garcia who are expected to be two key pieces to the club this season.
“I’m very excited to be back out on the field,” Garcia said. “I bat in the middle of the order and all offseason I have worked hard to stay there. I’ve batted there since my freshman year and I’m ready to be back in that same position this year. Coach Aguilar came out here and showed us what she had, and we’re excited to have her as our coach.”
For Arellano, this season is an emotional one. Last season during the Lady Cards’ first scrimmage against Brownsville Veterans, Arellano tore her meniscus and ACL in her right knee, and missed the rest of the season.
“This year is my comeback season,” Arellano said. “It was a hard recovery process, but I kept telling myself it’s a minor setback for a major comeback. Being back out here is what kept me going. Friday was our first day back and I was excited and nervous to get back on the field.”
This season, Arellano is 100 percent healthy and is motivated to lead the Lady Cards in the circle. The righty holds multiple pitches, including a curveball, riseball, screwball and a drop. Her favorite pitch to throw, however, is the knuckleball.
This season the Lady Cards open the regular season on Feb. 13 at Edinburg High. However, their first scrimmage of the season is set for Tuesday at Brownsville Veterans – just like last year.
Arellano’s return to the diamond will be an emotional one, but she is eager to get her junior season rolling.
“I’m a little nervous because it’s against the same team and it’s around the same time it happened last year. I’m excited to be back, though, and I know I will be ready.” she said.
