2017 Softball Roster
Jersey Number 42
Ruby Rivera
- Height:
- 5-7
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Los Angeles, Calif.
- High School:
- Pacifica
Junior - 2016
- Started all 40 games she saw action in at shortstop
- Registered a .296 batting average with 21 R, 32 H, 17 RBI and two HR
- Ranked fourth on the team with 11 2B and tied for fourth with 14 BB
- Ranked third on the team with seven sacrifice hits and was second with two sacrifice flies
- Recorded a .964 with 68 putouts and 95 assists
- Ranked in a tie for 10th in the Big Ten with 12 double plays fielded in overall action
- In conference play, ranked in a tie for third with nine double plays fielded and fourth with 54 assists
- Had eight double-digit hit contests, including going 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs and a double against Seattle (March 20)
- Knocked two doubles against Rutgers (April 1)
Sophomore - 2015
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Started 48 games at shortstop, missing five games (April 12-18) due to a concussion.
- Hit .324 with a .554 slugging percentage and a .401 on base percentage.
- Totaled 45 hits, eight doubles, eight home runs, 18 walks, 32 runs, 32 RBIs, four sac bunts and three sac flies.
- Tied the Illini record with three sacrifice flies during Big Ten play, ranking second in the conference.
- Went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the season opener against Winthrop.
- Reached in every plate appearance against Murray State, with a single and two walks.
- Went 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI and three runs against Coppin State.
- Hit safely in all five games of the February Freezer, totaling seven hits, a home run, four runs score and two RBIs.
- Put together a team-best 10-game hitting streak from Feb. 8-21, collecting 17 hits over that stretch, while tying for the team lead with a 14-game reached base streak that extended to March 1.
- Doubled and homered against No. 15 Minnesota in the series finale.
- Reached base in all four plate appearances against Illinois State, walking twice, hitting an RBI single in the fifth, then giving the Illini the victory with a walk-off home run with two outs in the seventh.
- Reached safely in every at-bat in the Iowa series finale (4/5), going 3-for-3 with two doubles a hit by pitch and a run.
- Homered to start the scoring against Indiana State.
- Took a sharp grounder to the head in game two against Maryland (4/11) and came out of the game for the first time in her career. Missed the next five games due to concussion protocol.
- Was on fire in her home debut after returning from the concussion, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored against Purdue (4/24).
- Hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to clinch the series win in the Purdue finale (4/26).
Freshman - 2014
- Started all 50 games at shortstop.
- Batted .315 with 13 doubles, five home runs, 16 walks, 23 runs and 23 RBI, striking out just 10 times in 146 at-bats, adding three sacrifice flies and five sacrifice bunts.
- Ranked sixth in the Big Ten in doubles, fifth in sacrifice flies, and third in "toughest to strike out".
- Had one of the best rookie campaigns in Illinois history, posting the second-best slugging percentage (.507), fifth-best on base percentage (.376), tying for second in doubles, home runs and assists, and setting a new freshman and shortstop record for double plays, turning 18.
- Put together a 10-game hitting streak from April 11-25 and extended it to a 15-game reached base streak.
- Led the Illini at the plate on opening weekend, hitting .538 with seven hits, two walks, a .600 on base percentage and a .615 slugging percentage.
- Was perfect at the plate on opening day, going 1-for-1 with a walk, a sacrifice bunt and two runs scored against UIC, then going 4-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored against Loyola.
- Hit safely in her first at-bat against Eastern Illinois, before finally making her first out in the fourth inning of her third game, on a ball that was ruled an out by the umpire after striking the ceiling of the dome.
- Doubled and walked against IUPUI.
- Went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI against Binghamton.
- Registered her first career stolen base against USF.
- Went 6-for-11 with five extra-base hits over the final three games of the UTA Hilton Invitational. Had a double, a home run, drove in two runs and scored twice against UMKC; tallied two doubles, an RBI and a run against Creighton; then hit a game-tying solo home run in the top of the fifth against UTA, going 2-for-3 in the game.
- Singled and scored in the bottom of the seventh inning against No. 14 South Alabama to help send the game to extras.
- Went 2-for-3 with a double against Hofstra.
- Walked, singled and drove in a run in game two against Iowa, then walked and tied the score with a key sacrifice fly in the series finale.
- Became the second shortstop in Illini history to turn three double plays in the second game of the Iowa series, teaming up with Jess Perkins on all three; they became the seventh and eighth overall Illini to do so.
- Went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI in game two against No. 16 Missouri.
- Doubled and walked in each of the first two games against Minnesota.
- Doubled, drove in a run, and stole second as part of the double steal that tied the game in the Wisconsin series opener.
- Went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI while turning two double plays against DePaul.
- Tallied four hits in the Purdue series, while turning a total of five double plays from shortstop.
- Hit an RBI double in game one, then tabbed the Illini's lone hit in the nightcap against No. 25 Northwestern to extend her hitting streak to nine games.
- Went 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI to help lead Illinois past No. 4 Michigan, 10-2.
- Hit home runs in two of the three games of the Penn State series.
- Went 2-for-4 against No. 10 Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals.
High School
- Two-time Defensive Player of the Year (2012, 2013).
- Three-time first-team all-league (2011, 2012, 2013); second-team in 2010.
- 2013 Pacifica High School Female Athlete of the Year.
- 2013 Third-team all-county.
- 2010 Rookie of the Year.
- 2012 Carew All-Tournament Team.
- Two-time Scholar Athlete (2010, 2011).
- A four-year starter at Pacifica High School in both softball and basketball.
- Led Pacifica to second round CIF finishes in 2010 and 2011, a third-round finish in 2012 and a fourth-round finish in 2013.
- Finished third in 2008 and second in 2009 with the 14U Corona Angels.
- Placed second at the 2011 16U Colorado Tournament with the Orange County Batbusters, then won the 2012 18U Colorado Tournament.
Personal
- Born Ruby Andrea Fernandez Garcia Rivera.
- Daughter of Angie and Andrew Franco Garcia.
- Has three younger siblings; Regina, Racquel and Andy.
- Majoring in Community Health.
Getting to Know Ruby
Nicknames: Rubes, Jeter, Rubah
Favorite Movie: The Princess Bride
Top 3-5 Most-Played Songs on your iTunes: "Talk Dirty" by Jason Derulo, "Love More" by Chris Brown, "Not a Bad Thing" by Justin Timberlake, "Drunk Off Your Love" by Shwayze, "Oh my goodness" by Spawnbreezie.
Favorite Quote: "The best way to predict the future is to create it." - Peter Drucker
Dream Job: To be a vet or a fireman.
Fun Fact: I never had braces.
Three Things on your "Bucket List": To die with no regrets, to go paragliding over the ocean without fear, make an impact on every person I meet.
If you were to win $10 million, what would you do with it? Buy my mom her dream house.
Who most influenced your athletic career? My Dad, without him I don't think I would be where I am today or be athletic period.
If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go and why? Cuba. I am mixed with a bit of Cuban along with various other cultures, but I would like to experience this culture in actual Cuba with family.
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