Munoz making most of her chances

 

Patience is a virtue…just not in college athletics­–especially not these days.

Patience isn’t always rewarded, either. 

While Jada Munoz did experience some frustration during her first two years at McNeese State, she remained patient.

Now, both she and the Cowgirls are reaping the rewards.

“I may have thought about leaving, but there was a reason why I came here,” Munoz said. “I came here for the people; this was like family, and it wasn’t all about softball.”

Things have worked out well for the junior third baseman, who is having a breakout season.

“The best decision I could have made was not leaving,” said Munoz. “This has always been the school I wanted to be at.”

In her first season as a starter, Munoz is hitting .351 and leads the team in both home runs (with nine) and in runs batted (with 24). While second in the league in homers, she’s top in runs scored at 36.

She reached base three times in a 12-2 loss to No. 3 LSU Tuesday night in Lake Charles.

“I worked so hard, and people around here pushed me,” said Munoz, a San Antonio native. “Then I found some confidence. I found how my body works best and kept working at my game.”

The coaching staff didn’t forget about her; they continued to work with her and others who were not getting the playing time they wanted. And that kept her going.

“I never felt like they overlooked or looked past us,” said Munoz. “Coach James (Landreneau) kept working with me, telling me what I needed to work on to get to play.”

During her first two seasons at McNeese, Munoz played in 67 games, starting 20. She collected 16 hits in 83 at-bats (193), scoring 17 runs while driving in 11. 

She hit her only home run against Houston, and yet she never complained or thought about transferring. In today’s game, that’s shocking.

“What makes this great is how hard she worked to improve,” said Landreneau. “She didn’t hang her head or leave when things didn’t go her way. She stuck in there, worked on her swing, and forced her way into the lineup.

“You don’t see a lot of that now. You see a lot of kids take the easy way out. Jada worked herself into a good player. That’s impressive.”

Beyond her work ethic, Munoz’s development at the plate has also been impressive. She says playing for a team in Austin, Texas, last summer helped her grow as a player and person.

“Playing in that summer league reignited my love for softball,” Munoz said. “It also boosted my confidence in my ability to play again. “

Now, along with a few of her friends, Munoz has the team at 23-16. The Cowgirls are trying to win their fourth straight regular-season Southland title. They are two games behind league-leading Southeastern at the conference’s midway point. 

The two teams battled for the crown the last two years and will have a three-game showdown series this weekend in Hammond. 

“We like playing in these big games,” said Munoz. “They’re fun.”

This was one of the many reasons she decided to stay at McNeese and take advantage of her opportunities.