ANDREW SALMI andrew.salmi@granitemedia partners.com
THRALL — A dynamic multi-sport athlete for Thrall High School signed her National Letter of Intent Nov. 8 as Tigerettes senior Dezi Lopez will play softball at the Division 1 level for the Bearkats of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville after graduation.
Lopez will compete for SHSU in a large Western Athletic Conference that contains other schools from Texas such as Stephen F. Austin State University, Tarleton State University, University of Texas at Arlington and Abilene Christian University.
As for Thrall softball, Lopez in the infield will help anchor a Tigerettes team that is searching to return to the playoffs after just missing out during the 2022-23 season in a very tough 2A-District 27 that includes Bremond High School, Milano High School, Thorndale High School and Granger High School.
Currently in the fall sports season, Lopez is one of three seniors on a hungry Thrall Tigerettes volleyball squad alongside teammates Melaina Grissom and Karly Pesantes. Under Head Coach Bethany Grissom, the Tigerettes advanced to the 2A regional tournament with a victory in three sets Tuesday over Weimar High School in the regional quarterfinals.
Lopez and the Tigerettes will have their hands full Friday night in a regional semifinal match with Johnson City High School, which is a Lady Eagles team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season in a fiveset match in the same round. The winner between Thrall and Johnson City will face the winner of Schulenburg High School and Stockdale High School on Saturday with a state tournament berth on the line.
