The upcoming 2026 season for El Paso Community College's baseball and softball teams promises to bring fresh energy and optimism to the sports complex at Valle Verde, where the college recently hosted Media Day. EPCC's baseball team, led by Julian Soucy in his seventh year, is looking to build on a strong previous season that saw them earn their first playoff berth in nearly two decades. The softball team is also stepping up to the plate with a new interim head coach, AubreeAna Avila-Oropeza, taking the reins and aiming to recast the squad in a competitive light.
Judging by the stats, the Tejanos baseball team appears poised for a spirited run. With 13 returning sophomores and a robust roster of 20 newcomers, attention will zero in on players like Chris Tavarez, a signee to the University of Kansas, and a supporting cast including Sal Rocha, Orlando Samaniego, and Carlos Rodriguez. According to EPCC News, last year’s performance was noteworthy with the team’s fourth-place finish in the WJCAC and a playoff appearance, an achievement not seen since 2008. Soucy, now second on the all-time EPCC career wins list, proclaimed, "I'm very excited with a lot of new faces, so that's the exciting part."
EPCC's softball team, under Avila-Oropeza's stewardship, will also look to make decisive strides this season. The team plans to bolster their reputation with strategic gameplay, having been ranked highly in Region V for fewest strikeouts and consistent in other offensive categories. Avila-Oropeza, with a respectable history as a player and coach, transitions from a head coach position at UTPB, bringing experience and a hometown connection to the role. "I'm excited for people to see what EPCC can be," Avila-Oropeza told EPCC News. The softball team anticipates the return of Maria Ontiveros, Bella Apodaca, Danna Castillo, and Dulce Ontiveros, who are among the players expected to lead the charge this year.
The baseball team will kick off the season at the end of the month with home doubleheaders against Trinidad State Junior College, starting at 11:00 a.m. on both January 30 and 31. Meanwhile, the softball team will see its first action in Tucson, Arizona, at the Pima College Invitational on January 23, squaring off against three different colleges in one day, before hosting its home opener on February 13 against Yavapai College. With the new season at hand, fans and athletes alike are buckling up for what could be an enthralling display of EPCC talent on both diamonds.
