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Putting a good team together is like finishing a puzzle.

For Mark Smith, the 18U Athletics Mercado coach, the final piece was finding where to put Angie Ramos. Smith wanted Ramos’ bat in the lineup, but with a crowded infield loaded with Division-I talent, he moved her to the outfield.

“It was a get-in, fit-in type deal and she found her spot,” Smith said.

Knowing her athleticism would go a long way in the outfield, Smith’s decision paid off for Ramos, now the starting left fielder for Syracuse. It took some time to adjust, but Ramos grew into the position, helping Mercado win back-to-back national championships in 2020 and 2021. The position change forced her to fight through the uncomfortable feeling.

“She just had to believe in herself,” Smith said. “She had some spots where she faced some adversity, but she was so new out there that she struggled.”

Ramos could hit from gap to gap and had good power for her size, Smith said. She could bat anywhere from first to third in the lineup, all the way down to the eighth hole. When Ramos wasn’t in the lineup, she pinch hit and “always came up clutch,” Smith said.

Ramos never brought a lot of attention to herself. She “packed her lunch and went to work,” Smith said.

Before hitting the 14U level, Ramos spent most of her time at shortstop. Typically, the most athletic player plays shortstop because of the position’s required mobility, Smith said. Thus, shortstops can usually play anywhere on the diamond, said Greg Borzilleri, Ramos’ 14U coach.

Borzilleri was the first person to put Ramos in the outfield. He didn’t need her out there, but Borzilleri knew she had the athleticism to run down balls and make plays. Ramos’ dad, Marvin, remembered her putting her body on the line, diving for balls that she had a slim chance of getting.

At 7 years old, Ramos started playing in her local softball league and fell in love right away. Softball gave Ramos a new sense of responsibility, Marvin said. He remembered her excitement the night before games, laying out her jersey on her bedroom floor and packing her bag.

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Ramos put everything into softball. When she was 14, Marvin said Ramos got stepped on when sliding into second, opening a big wound which required stitches. Marvin remembered being able to tell her desire to play from the look in her eyes as she sat on the bench.

“She’s always been a kid to look you in the eyes, accept the role she was in and accept the challenges faced with her,” Smith said.

Making the jump from 14U to 16U was a challenge. Borzilleri described the jump as going from high school to Division I. Younger teams are more centered on how far players can throw and how hard they can hit and there are more nuances and in-game adjustments from both pitchers and hitters, Borzilleri said.

As a result, coaches were harder on their players. If Ramos made a mistake at her new position, she took the criticism “like a champ,” Borzilleri said. Smith noted that Ramos had a high softball IQ, and the biggest area of growth was her mental strength.

“She wasn’t a kid that made the same mistake twice,” Smith said. “She may struggle at something once but once you correct it, she was fine.”

Successful infielders often display lateral movement, while reading the ball from the outfield requires a different skill set. Based on how the ball comes off the bat, outfielders have to be aware of where they are on the field and make throws coming from all different angles.

Smith said Ramos really started to excel in left field the summer before her senior year of high school. After that, Smith knew Ramos’ versatility would help her at the next level.

“A lot of kids would just tell you, they want to do it…but they wouldn’t buy in, she was never that,” Smith said. “Whatever you asked to do, she always did it with a smile on her face.”

Ramos settled on Syracuse after she felt a strong connection with the coaches and players during a campus visit during her senior year.

After starting in 23 of her 33 appearances as a freshman, Ramos’ role has increased this season. Starting 25 out of SU’s 28 games so far, Ramos has already surpassed her hits and RBI total from last season, with a higher batting average this year.

“She followed her dream so as a father I just support her,” Marvin said. “In the end it’s her life and she can do what she wants.”

Published on April 6, 2023 at 12:24 am

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22