Ambriz was surrounded by family and friends Tuesday in the high school’s Event Center where she signed her letter-of-intent to play for Sonoma State. Her mother Joanna and father Armando Ambriz joined her as she committed to play college softball.
It was Sonoma State’s Jennifer Bridges who spotted the young catcher at a summer workshop, and the Seawolve’s coach obviously liked what she saw. “This last summer they first noticed me,” said Ambriz who says she’s been playing competitive softball since she was five years old.
She’s going to a pretty good program. The Seawolves play Division II softball and Sonoma State is a member school of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Last year Bridges’ team went 33-24-1 to finish third in the CCAA.
This is Bridges’ eighth season at the helm of the Seawolves, and she’s led her softball team to seven straight NCAA tournament appearances and a pair of CCAA tournament championships, to go along with an outstanding 267-148 overall record as well as a 157-97 mark in the CCAA. "Megan has great spunk and athleticism," said Bridges. "We love her versatility and all out mentality, and we feel she will be a great fit for the Seawolf softball family and we can't wait to get her on our campus."
Tiger Coach Dionne Ewing was also on hand Tuesday as Ambriz signed with Sonoma. “This is her fourth year with us as a starter and she’s been a starter since her freshman year, and she has been a tremendous asset to our program,” she said. “She’s been a team leader since her freshman year. She’s been our starting catcher, and last year we had to move her from behind the plate because we needed her out in the field.”
Ewing hopes to get Ambriz back behind the plate in her senior year. “She’s a team leader and she’s just a great kid. I absolutely enjoyed having the opportunity to coach her. I also learned from her and we work together really well.”