Softball player works hard on and off the field
Mesa Legend
Hardworking, determined, and loving are three things that describe Mesa Community College softball player Natasha Mercado. Born in El Paso, Texas, Mercado has a mother, Ceci, father, Ralph, and a brother, Chris. “The reason I chose to come to MCC was that I was offered a chance to play softball here at MCC,” Mercado said. Currently Mercado is a criminal justice major with the plan of becoming a probation officer and hopefully later on become a high school softball coach.
Mercado has set some goals for herself on her path towards success, such as graduating next year and continuing her education and continuing to play at the next level.Balancing schoolwork and softball can be hard sometimes, but softball coach Grady Moorhead has a well-set study hall rule that keeps the team focused on their grades and schoolwork. Mercado would like to give this advice to all MCC students, to “keep working hard and stay focused on what you came to MCC for and you will make it happen.”
Photo by Tania Ritko
In Mercado’s life so far the biggest accomplishment she has had was graduating from high school. “One thing that sticks out to me about the MCC softball team is that we all get along and we play for the person to the right and left of us, trying to better each other along the way.” If I could compete in any other sport other then softball I would love to be playing volleyball still.
“My role model would have to be my aunt Kammy. She did not play college softball but she played most of her life until she got cancer,” Mercado said. “She is my role model because even till today she is a strong women and is still fighting her cancer, but even in bad times she still finds a way to cheer me up and support me.”
“My mom has always influenced me the most; she always pushes me to do my best no matter what,” Mercado said. “If I could live anywhere I would live in Arizona because I love it here,” Mercado said. “In my free time I like to hang out with my teammates and have movie nights, dinners and just hang out.”
If someone wanted to join softball at MCC Mercado would tell them that “it is a great program, we have a great coaching staff and were a family on this team.” Looking from the outside one would not see that during Mercado’s freshman year she fractured her jaw playing softball.
