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Janae Ruiz signs a letter of intent with MidAmerica Nazarene University.
Ray senior softball player Janae Ruiz will continue her academic and athletic career at the next level after recently signing her Letter of Intent to MidAmerica Nazarene University, an NAIA liberal arts college located in Olathe, Kansas, and a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
Ruiz, a four-year varsity middle infielder for the Lady Cats, considered several offers before making her decision.
“Having the ability to choose where I wanted to go to school, this choice was easy to make,” said Ruiz, who will study Business in pursuit of a Business Administration degree. “When I went for my visit I knew this was the place for me. I loved the campus, and Coach Wade made me feel at home.”
The opportunity to compete at the next level is the culmination of hard work and determination for Ruiz, who started playing softball when she was 10 years old.
Under the direction of a private hitting coach and her father, James, Ruiz learned to become an accomplished slapper – a left-handed hitter who runs toward a pitched ball with the goal of putting the ball in play to the left side of the infield, utilizing her speed to get on base and put pressure on the defense.
“Janae moved to the left side to become a slapper when she was playing 12U,” James Ruiz told Copper Basin News. “I took her to a left handed hitting coach every other weekend for about a year. During this time, I was also working with her several times a week on her hitting as a slapper.
“To this day I have continued to fine tune her slapping skills. There is a special reward coaching your kid and seeing their potential fully develop as they grow.”
A member of back-to-back state championship teams in 2016 and 2017, Ruiz was a Division V All-Section V 2nd Team selection as a sophomore. She earned All-Conference First Team, All-Region First Team and Region Defensive Player of the Year as a junior. So far, in her final year, she’s been named All-Region First Team with All-Conference voting still ongoing.
When she’s not competing for the Lady Cats, Ruiz plays club softball as a member of the Arizona Hotshots.
“I am a strong believer that to be the best, you must play the best,” she said. “Being a Hotshot, I have been fortunate to play against some of the best teams at some of the best fields all over the country.”
Ruiz is a career .593 hitter for the Lady Cats, including a .605 batting average this year. Other career stats include 191 hits, 182 runs, 87 RBI, 24 doubles, 14 triples, 6 homeruns, and a 1.483 OPS. Perhaps her greatest stat: 33 strikeouts in 399 high school career plate appearances.
“Playing all these years has taught me that having a hard work ethic, dedication, perseverance, great coaches, and the support of my family, I can take my softball career to the next level,” she said.
Ruiz credits her experience as a student-athlete at Ray for learning “maintain my GPA and the importance of education while being a student-athlete.”
“Playing club ball year-round also taught me how to balance my education, the sport and friends,” she added.
What will Ruiz miss about Arizona, or Kearny specifically?
“When I move I will miss my family and friends, they have been my support system through my journey,” she answered. “I will also miss Arizona sunsets with the mountains. Kansas is so flat, it makes me appreciate Arizona’s landscape.”
James and Kristina Ruiz acknowledged their oldest daughter “has worked hard and sacrificed a lot of ‘normal’ high school events and things to make this chapter of her life happen.”
“We are so proud of her and excited for her next step on her softball journey,” James said. “She is so fortunate to be able to go play college ball while earning an undergraduate degree.”
Janae’s parents are looking forward to making trips to Kansas to watch her play. She’s looking forward to a few things too.
“I am looking forward to earning my degree while continuing to play the sport I love,” Janae said. “I am also looking forward to being in a new environment, meeting new people, and creating new memories.”
Added James: “To say we are super proud parents is an understatement.”
The Kearny community is “super proud” as well, for sure.
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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