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There are two gaping holes in the shed inside Paul Greco’s batting cage, courtesy of Jude Padilla. During a practice session with Greco, Padilla hit a pair of line drives through the structure.

“It’s like a gunshot, that’s how hard the ball would come off her bat,” said Greco, Padilla’s coach in her senior year at Incarnate Word high school. “It was just different.”

Greco still hasn’t replaced the holes. It serves as a reminder to show what it takes to reach the highest level.

“‘Oh, you think you’re D-I, I don’t see any balls through the shed right here,’” Greco said.

Before arriving at Syracuse, Padilla was one of the top players in her community of New Braunfels, Texas, an area near San Antonio. Padilla “commanded respect” among her teammates, Greco said, which transitioned Padilla to becoming a role model for younger girls. Padilla still makes it a priority to take care of her community.

Padilla’s freshman season at Syracuse ended because of COVID-19. She returned back home to Texas, where softball had slowed down, according to Nate Rodriguez, Padilla’s personal catching coach. Local programs were trying to figure out how to keep playing, creating the Texas Fastpitch League (TFL). Rodriguez said the league organized games within close proximity to each other as opposed to traveling to out-of-state tournaments.

Rodriguez needed another assistant coach for his 16U team. Padilla’s sister, Mene’e, was on the team, which influenced Padilla to fill Rodriguez’ need.

“She came in and embraced her role really well,” Rodriguez said.

Padilla’s father, Rick, said that his daughter’s desire to assist younger athletes is nothing new. She became well-known locally because of her demeanor on and off the field.

“Jude would work with everybody. She wouldn’t shy away or turn anyone down,” Rick said. “If someone asked for help, she was the type to walk them through whatever process or training they needed to do.”

Mene’e followed in her sister’s footsteps. She’s a catcher with St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, and the two have formed a bond over sharing the same sport. Rick said that during the summertime, Padilla and Mene’e work on hitting and catching drills.

“Playing the same sport has made us inseparable, and has made me the athlete that I am today,” Mene’e said. “She is constantly pushing me to be better than I was yesterday.”

Mene’e looks up to Padilla just like other girls in their area do. Padilla told her sister that softball is more than just a game for her. The way Padilla plays and carries herself shows appreciation for her supportive family, Mene’e said. It’s important for Padilla to “give back what she’s learned,” Mene’e added.

Behind the plate, Rodriguez said Padilla has “soft hands,” with the ability to receive pitches well. He added that Padilla’s overhand speed is somewhere in the high 60 miles per hour range. Her size and athleticism allow her to move quickly in either direction to block errant pitches.

Rodriguez called Padilla “as strong as an ox,” launching balls over a 300-foot fence during drills. Rodriguez claimed she was “just messing around.”

“I was like ‘wow, that’s tremendous power back there,’” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez preaches the importance of footwork to Padilla. With her large stature and strength, finding the correct footing can get lost in the mix, but Rodriguez has helped Padilla become fundamentally sound.

“‘Don’t just rely on your arm strength to get the ball to second and third,’” Rodriguez said to Padilla. “‘Let’s concentrate on your footwork to make sure you’re in the right spot to throw the ball.’”

In her freshman year of high school, Padilla helped Incarnate Word win its district. It defeated St. Agnes Academy (Houston) 9-1 in the championship game, where Padilla caught a complete game from junior pitcher Michelle Iparraguirre to seal the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools 5A District 2 title.

When Greco took over as head coach Padilla’s senior season, her success continued. She earned District Most Valuable Player honors in a performance Greco deemed “ridiculous.” Greco said Padilla’s growth as a person was even more impressive as she garnered the respect of her teammates in a way he hadn’t seen before.

“Every coach probably dreams of a player like that,” Greco said. “You want to use that as an example for younger kids, I think that’s what she did.”

Under Greco, typically, underclassmen were the ones to help organize practice equipment. Padilla ignored the tradition. She always made sure everything was in place before practice. Greco said that her unselfishness has left behind a legacy at Incarnate Word. Now the freshmen who played with Padilla have become the seniors that set up each practice.

“She knows that when she walks away, the game is still going to be there, the field is still going to be there. She just wants to leave it better than she had it,” Greco said.

Published on May 11, 2023 at 12:50 am

Contact Cooper at: ccandrew@syr.edu | @cooper_andrews