VillarrealReceivesAcademicMomentumAwardDecember14,2011COLLEGESTATION,TX‐‐TexasA&MsoftballseniorNatalieVillarrealwasselectedtotheAcademicMomentumAwardFirstTeambyScholarBallerandtheNationalConsortiumforAcademicsandSports(NCAS),theawardsponsorsannouncedrecently.Villarreal(Frisco,Texas)joinedagroupof17maleandfemalestudent‐athletesontheAMAfirstteamandwastheonlysoftballplayerandBig12athleteonthefirst‐teamlist.

TheseniorAgriculturalLeadershipandDevelopmentmajorovercameadversityintheclassroomwhileexcellingontheplayingfieldtodeservethehonor.AfteranoutstandingfreshmanseasoninwhichshestartedineachoftheAggies’contestsatsecondbaseandasophomorecampaignthatendedwithaBig12DefensivePlayeroftheYearAward,Villarrealwithdrewfromtheuniversityduetoacademicstruggles.AsemesterawayfromthediamondwasenoughtoconvincethestarinfielderthatshebelongedatA&M.InJanuaryof2010shebeganonlineclassesthroughanotherinstitutiontoregaineligibility.ThatsummerVillarrealreturnedtoAggielandandearned14credithoursthroughclassesoncampus.Stillneedingagrade‐point‐average(GPA)boost,theleft‐handedsecondbasemanworkedhardtobecomeeligibleforthespringwitha13‐hourfallschedule.TheworkpaidoffasVillarrealearnedanaward‐worthy3.307GPAthatsemesterandbegantrainingwiththeAggiesagainlastJanuary.Inherredshirtjuniorseason,VillarrealwasnamedtotheAll‐Big12FirstTeamandtheAll‐RegionSecondTeam,andwasagainawardedtheleague’stopdefensivehonorforherprowessinthemiddleinfield.ThisisherfirstAMAhonor.TheAggiesoftballteamturnsonthelightstoacompetitive2012campaignattheKajikawaClassiconFeb.10against2011NCAASuperRegionalcompetitorStanford.TheAggieswillplayseveralNCAATournamentteamsthisspring,andwillhostthreetournamentsattheAggieSoftballComplex.TolearnmoreaboutTexasA&Msoftball,logontoAggieAthletics.com.