Senior Spotlights: Karina Sanchez

Karina Sanchez helped the Sam Houston State softball team lock down a conference championship in 2019, her first season as a Bearkat following a national-championship winning career at Temple College.

The senior pitcher from Del Valle earned the victory in a 4-3 win over Stephen F. Austin on May 5, 2019 that clinched the outright Southland Conference regular-season title. Sanchez also pitched six strong innings, scattering five hits and not giving up an earned run in a 3-0 loss to No. 9 Texas in an elimination game at the Austin Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

"My time here at Sam was awesome. I would not have traded it for the world, and I'm glad I finished my academic and softball career here at Sam," Sanchez said.

Sanchez made 31 appearances in two seasons for the Bearkats with the majority coming in 2019 after the 2020 campaign was cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic.

She started nine games in the circle for the Bearkats and made 18 appearances in 2019. She finished the season with two wins.

Sanchez made seven starts and 13 appearances for SHSU this past season, earning victories over Belmont on Feb. 22 and North Dakota State on Feb. 28.

"Out of any Bearkat I have coached, I have known Karina the longest," head coach Garrett Valis said. "She has developed year after year since I first saw her as a 12U athlete when I was coaching club ball. She represents her family so well as I see so many of their awesome traits in her.

"She is always the first to arrive and never took a rep off. I will miss her passion in the circle and complete buy-in to doing anything she was asked. I am excited for her to to do great things in the business world and wish her the best of luck."

Sanchez enjoyed her time at Sam Houston and said it meant "everything" to her to be a Bearkat.

"You can't find that type of culture, that home-away-from-home vibe, that family feel just anywhere," she said.

Sanchez, who plans to seek a management position with Enterprise when she graduates this month and stay connected to softball, knows the program will do "great things" moving forward. She also has some advice for future Bearkats.

"Don't be afraid of change," she said. "Be able to adapt and overcome because odds are, in the long run, it will benefit you."

Senior Spotlights: Karina Sanchez

Players Mentioned

Karina Sanchez

Footer