GHS ace hurler signs letter of intent to play college ball at
Vanguard University.
GILROY – Senior Jenn Olvera was opening Christmas presents last year when she received the surprise of her life. Olvera ripped open one box and saw a sweater – but as she displayed it something fell out.
It was an envelope and inside was the exact thing she had been working towards since she began playing softball as a young tike – a college scholarship.
Olvera thought the sweater was nice – but the envelope contained what she always dreamed. Vanguard University, a small catholic school in beautiful Costa Mesa, sent her a letter of intent to play for its softball team and Olvera couldn’t have signed it quick enough.
“Everybody knew except for me. It was a nice surprise,” said Gilroy High’s ace right-hander, who still has her senior year ahead of her in the spring. “My goal is to beat North Salinas because honestly if we can beat them, then we can beat anybody. We have the talent and we have the skills and we have the pitching.”
Olvera has been on the mound for most of her life – ever since her parents signed her up for little league. She began travel ball with the Gilroy Hot Shots 12-under team and then switched over to the Salinas Storm 14-under team – where she has moved up the ranks.
“Ever since I started pitching, me and my dad thought it would be nice to get a softball scholarship,” Olvera said. “We didn’t really start thinking about it until high school came around and actually started thinking about colleges. Ever since then, it’s been a goal to get a scholarship just to go play anywhere.”
With a work ethic second-to-none, Olvera might have been born with a softball in hand. On any given afternoon at Gilroy High, anyone passing along would be remiss not to see Olvera practicing on the mound.
“I’ve been working on my velocity a lot, my ball movement a little more, and hitting my spots,” Olvera said. “I’ve learned this summer that it’s really important to hit my spots. Otherwise, there are girls who can tank one out of the park.”
But it is not too often that opposing batters know what’s coming when facing the ever-elusive garlic hurler.
“She definitely mixes it up. She keeps the other teams guessing all the time. When she gets her curve ball working, nobody knows when it’s coming,” Gilroy head softball coach Julie Berggren said. “I think it’s outstanding when any player can play after high school.
“The fact that she’s excited about playing – you can see she gets excited, her eyes sparkle, her face glows, she gets a big smile – makes it truly special,” the second-year coach added. “I’m proud of her and I’m excited for her. I get to follow her for another couple of years.”
This year, Coach Berggren gets one final season with Olvera on the mound – leading her Lady Mustang teammates.
“Of course, I expect big things from her this year,” Berggren said. “She’s our starting pitcher. She has two solid years of experience behind her. She should be one of our powerhouses. We hope to give her a bunch of wins.”
Olvera – who also plays on the varsity basketball team that she considers her offseason from softball – got a chance to play on the Salinas Storm 18U Gold Team in the fall along with North Salinas ace Monica Abbott.
“I got a lot of exposure out there. Vanguard came to watch me play a couple of games,” Olvera said. “I enjoy it. Softball is pretty much my life. It’s time consuming. I pretty much don’t have weekends in the summer.”
Olvera has achieved her goal of a softball scholarship through her hard work and determination – which does not stop as she improves her game on a daily basis.
“This summer is pretty much getting me prepared for college because I don’t have the stress of getting into college and playing for college,” Olvera said. “Now it’s just preparing for college. This summer is going to help me out for years to come.”
