EL PASO – UTEP Softball Head Coach T.J. Hubbard announced the signing of seven high school seniors to National Letters of Intent on Thursday. The signees, which feature two left-handed pitchers, two catchers and three infielders, will join the Miner softball program in the fall of 2023.
The Miners received signed NLI's from Faith Aragon, Johnna Aragon, Madi Bachman, Ciarra Jefferson, Makayla Madrid, Christalynne Sepulveda and Bella Tavares.
"We are excited about this 2023 recruiting class," said head coach T.J. Hubbard. "It is easily one of the most athletic classes we've assembled in one recruiting year. We were able to stay in-state and find three Texas natives (El Paso, Richwood & San Antonio) and close to home with two from New Mexico as well as one from California and Virginia. We have three infielders, two catchers and two left-handed pitchers, who are all exceptional students and talented athletes. Each of these ladies will provide an immediate impact to our roster in the 2023-2024 season."
Faith Aragon | Pitcher | 5-3 | Carlsbad, N.M. (Carlsbad HS)
The nationally ranked left-handed pitcher was announced as the 2021-22 Gatorade New Mexico Softball Player of the Year. Aragon helped the Cavegirls to a 30-1 record and Class 5A state championship this past season. She had a 16-1 record with a 1.91 ERA and 182 strikeouts. She also batted .598 with 15 home runs and 48 RBI.
Accolades
2022 State Champion
Gatorade New Mexico Softball Player of the Year
Gatorade 2nd Team All-American
New Mexico Max Preps Player of the Year
3x State Runner Up
3x District Champion
All-State
All-District
All-Academic
Johnna Aragon | Infielder | 5-3 | Carlsbad, N.M. (Carlsbad HS)
Johnna Aragon joins her Carlsbad HS teammate and cousin, Faith Aragon, on the UTEP roster. The four-year letterwinner helped the Cavegirls to a 30-1 record and Class 5A state championship this past season. She batted .425 with seven home runs and an on-base percentage of .440. She has led the team in fewest strikeouts, averaging just four per year.
Accolades
2022 State Champion
4x District Champion
All-Academic
1st Team All-District
1st Team All-State
Madi Bachman | Catcher | 5-10 | Fredericksburg, VA (Mountain View HS)
The three-time 1st Team All-State selection has an overall batting average of .576 with an .898 slugging percentage. She was honored as the team's MVP after leading the squad in home runs and batting average last season.
Accolades
1st Team All-State Catcher
2x 1st Team All-District
2x 1st Team All-Region
2x 1st Team All-State
1st Team All-Area
2nd Team All-Area
Ciarra Jefferson | Infielder | 5-7 | Richwood, Texas (Brazoswood HS)
Jefferson is a three-time varsity letter winner who has put in hard work on and off the field. She is a member of the National Honor Society, sporting a 3.9 GPA, and is ranked in the Top 10 percent of her class. She is part of the Brazoswood Sports Leadership Program and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. On the field, she has recorded a .900 fielding percentage with only eight errors throughout her high school career.
Accolades
2nd Team All-District Shortstop
All-District Academic Honors
Makayla Madrid | Catcher | 5-5 | Cibolo, Texas (Byron P. II HS)
Madrid is nationally ranked by Extra Innings, tied for 52nd among 2023 catchers. She is also a Lone Star Preps' catcher, a two-time 1st Team All-District selection, and a 1st Team All-State honoree. She batted .400 overall with a .489 on-base percentage last season. She played in 65 games and scored 48 runs on 67 hits with 48 RBI. On defense, she has totaled 202 putouts and 39 assists.
Accolades
2x 1st Team All-District
1st Team All-State
Christalynne Sepulveda | Infielder | 5-7 | El Paso, Texas (Americas HS)
Sepulveda, who transferred from Eastlake, joined the Americas team late last season and became eligible in the final regular season game against Eastwood. The Americas softball team made history as they defeated Flower Mound, 4-1, in the deciding game of the three-game series to claim the Region 1-6A championships to advance to the school's first UIL State Tournament. She was a regular in the starting lineup for Americas throughout the playoffs. She posted record highs in the playoffs in batting average (.511), on-base percentage (.558), RBI (19), and tied for most home runs (16). She also put up 24 hits and scored 14 runs. Her efforts landed her on Lone Star Preps' list of Top Shortstops in 2023.
Accolades
Class 6A Final Four Finalist
Bella Tavares | Pitcher | 5-7 | Castro Valley, Calif. (Castro Valley HS)
The left-handed pitcher from California recorded 100 strikeouts in her junior season. CVHS qualified for the NCS Playoffs and finished second in the league with a 15-11 record. Tavares finished her junior year with 1,968 pitches in 138.2 innings of work.
Accolades
1st Team All-League WACC
For complete coverage of UTEP Softball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @utepsoftball (Instagram) and @UTEPSoftball (Twitter) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.
