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2019 Hall of Fame Inductees
Rudolfo “Rudy” Ortiz – 2019
Rudy joined the spring 2005 as a player with the original Austin Ballbusters coached by Scott Mogonye. The team changed their name to Austin Force. After a year with Austin Force team, Rudy joined Austin Chaos D team in the spring 2006 for one year and moved to San Diego in July 2007. In San Diego, Rudy played for the San Diego Dragons for one year before returning back home to Austin. He returned to Softball Austin league to start his first coaching season with the Rusty Spurs (D Division) in the fall 2008 with Roy Duran as manager and rejoined Austin Chaos (C team) with Rene Trevino, Manager
Upon his return to Softball Austin, the league created a new board position, Membership Coordinator to help increase membership. Rudy was asked to serve the position and accepted. Former commissioner Richard Benavidez appointed Rudy for the position with the Council approval. In the absence of Chaos Manager, Rudy was asked to manage the team and assist with coaching while serving on the board. Rudy continued to serve as Membership Coordinator until elected assistant commissioner. Shortly afterwards, he was elected commissioner. In addition to serving on the board, Rudy served and chaired on various league committees (Texas Shootout Tournament, By-Laws and Rules Committee, Ethics Committee, Protest Committee, Player Ratings Committee, Finance Committee, GSWS Bid Committee). Rudy resigned as commissioner after one year to become the primary caretaker of his ill father whom was battling cancer.
Upon his return to Softball Austin in the Fall 2011, Rudy formed Austin Assault (C Division) as manager and head coach with Sam Khabbaz, assistant coach. With great competitive teams came comes great responsibilities of success. Louie Barrientos, Ron Brown, Ray Gaona, and James Clark would become assistant coaches that help Rudy lead Assault to several winning seasons and several tournament trophies. In the fall 2013, Rudy was asked to create a D Division team whereas D players would eventually move up to play with the C team. With the assistance of Clarence Myers as assistant manager and Rudy as Head Coach/Head Manager, Austin Assault’D (D Division) was formed. The team has had successful winning seasons and won several league and tournament trophies. After 12 years with Softball Austin league and one year with America’s Finest City Softball League, Rudy is now a fan of Softball Austin, as he will now enjoy many years of watching friends playing the game he so much loved and enjoyed. A special thank you to all the assistant coaches, assistant managers, and players that I have coached and/or had the opportunity to play in the league and tournaments across America.
And to the all the softball friends, both league and all over the U.S., thank you for the wonderful memories, so many drinks, crazy nights, Smell What A Dollar Gets You! moments, shared trophies, the hilarious long road trips, but most of all, your friendship. Thank you for an amazing journey! Thank you to all the sponsors whom have so graciously always supported all the teams that I have.
Amy Torres – 2019
Amy joined Softball Austin in 2005, playing with the division winning MPS Closers as a pickup from Draft Day. She met an amazing group of friends and teammates and they formed Los Tigres in the Fall of 2005 and have kept the team in the league, the longest running team, of over 14 years. She was a pickup on a team attending the NAGAAA World Series in Phoenix where she learned of ASANA and the Women’s Division. Upon her return she worked tirelessly to create the Women’s Division with her flagship team the Austin Angels, who have attended every World Series since 2007. She served on the Softball Austin board for six year as the PR Coordinator and made a return to the board in 2019 as the Softball Austin Women’s Division Assistant Commissioner. She is always available to play, help or champion for sports. It has been endless hours but the reward of getting to play, seeing her friends play and celebrating victories no matter how big or small is what continues to drive her passion for softball, Softball Austin NAGAAA and ASANA.
Braden Williams – 2019
Braden discovered Softball Austin in the Fall of 2013 after playing years of city ball between Austin and San Marcos. Since learning of the existence of an LGBT softball league in his backyard, Braden has been an extremely active member of our league both on and off the field. Upon arrival in the league, Braden joined the Austin Outlaws and was fortunate enough to play with some of the best friends and teammates anyone could ask for. The Outlaws had an incredible amount of success during their time with Braden being a vital part of multiple tournament wins, season championships, the 2015 GSWS national title, the 2016 GSWS Runner-Up, and a 9-month undefeated streak. Braden has been a part of multiple teams in our league or for out of town tournaments for teams including The Wreckers, Fusion, Rough Riders, Boston X-Factors, D-Bad, Dallas Demons, and many more. He’s also coached the Shady Sisters along with lending a hand to several teams that have asked him for help over the seasons. Now a founding member of the Texas THOTs, he will be looking for new successes down the road. Braden’s dedication doesn’t only exist on the field of play. As his most monumental task, he took on the role of Operations Director for the 2016 Austin GSWS a mere 8 months before the first pitch was thrown. That extraordinary experience prompted him to become a more active member of the league and earn a seat on the Softball Austin board as the Competition Coordinator in 2017. Now done with his first board term, Braden will continue to focus on the various committees such he has been a member of for years as well as volunteer his time and effort to ensuring Softball Austin remains a great organization.
Courtney “CoCo” Williams – 2019
Courtney has been playing softball since 1989 and comes from a family bloodline of athletes that either played at the collegiate level or at the semi pro level. She moved to Austin in 2008 where she further broadened her softball talent. Her softball family know her as “CoCo” because Amy Torres, former Women’s Softball Austin commissioner, was the first to start calling her CoCo and the name simply just stuck. Though she typically played short stop throughout high school, her inherent athleticism reveals her versatility as a pitcher or any position on the field. Her intimidating backspin is loved by many but can be hated by most.
In 2015, Courtney played with 2Legit (C division) and won the championship in the Women’s World Series. Then in 2016, won 5th place with Fusion (C division) in the NAGAAA World Series. In 2017, won 1st place in the Bourbon Street Classic with Fusion (C division) Regional Series and won 1st place at the Houston Lone Star Classic where Courtney also received the MVP award. In addition, won the ASANA World Series Championship with Ultra (C division) and won 2nd place NAGAAA World Series with Fusion (C division). In 2018, won 1st place at the Houston Lone Star Classic with Fusion (C division) and was also recruited by the Hitmen (A division). Her continuous winning record speaks for itself.
2018 Hall of Fame Inductees
Jeremy Wasinger – 2018
Jeremy is an original member of Softball Austin. He began his playing career in 2001 as a member of the Hornets, playing for David Derbonne on the same city league as the Bat Boys. In 2002 He started a new team, the Big Bad Woofs. The Woofs played in the same city league as the Bat Boys, and won one game their first year, a forfeit! Spring of 2003 the Woofs traveled to Houston for the Memorial Day Tournament. The Woofs ran through The D bracket and finished in 2nd place! Labor Day weekend of 2003 Jeremy joined Lee Curtis and 4 teams from Austin, Dallas and Houston for the inaugural Selma’s Softball Splash. In 2004 Jeremy and Lee hosted 16 teams from Texas and Oklahoma in a C & D Tournament at Del Valle fields in the Softball Austin Spectacular. During this time, He also set up the first Softball Austin website and was the first Secretary of the Softball Austin Board of Directors. The Big Bad Woofs played in the inaugural season of Softball Austin in the fall of 2004. In 2005 Lee and Jeremy hosted the Softball Austin Texas Shootout with 26 teams from Texas and Oklahoma. After a too long hiatus, Jeremy returned to Softball Austin as a member of the Bout Time II Ballr’z. Jeremy has also served as Softball Austin Archives Chairman.
Steven McCormick – 2018
Steven “Ginger” McCormick started with teams in the Austin City League prior to Softball Austin forming, playing with the Stars and Big Bad Woofs (2003-2004). He took a hiatus from softball to start his career as an Austin Police Officer and came back to Softball Austin in 2010 to play on the Ball Busters D team where he earned the nickname “Ginger” which has stuck with him to today. In 2011 he joined the Polar Bears D team as a player and took over coaching in 2016. In 2017, along with the help of Norman Coopee, he brought back the Grizzlies C team which he currently plays on and co-leads. He has played in 3 World Series including Minneapolis, Columbus and Austin, as well as may out of town tournaments in Las Vegas, Houston, Dallas, Seattle, San Antonio and New Orleans. In addition to his playing and coaching, Steven has served on the Softball Austin Board as Competition Coordinator (2015-2017), Assistant Commissioner (2017-2018) and currently serves as Commissioner (2018). He has also served as co-director of the Texas Shootout Tournaments in 2016 and Director in 2017 and 2018. Over the years he has also served as chair of the following committees: Protest, Ethics, Bylaws/IOG and Ratings, as well as serving as a national North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) delegate for the league.
Thomas Volz – 2018
Thomas Volz moved to Austin in the Spring of 2011. He was introduced to Softball Austin by a neighbor who was a current player. Upon invitation to an open tryout with the Rough Riders (C Division Team) and Show Us Your Hits (D Division Team) , he tried out and was asked to play for the Rough Riders under the management of Albert Rodriguez. Without much experience with softball and not knowing many people, Softball Austin became a second family to him. He grew into the league to eventually assist with the coaching of the Rough Riders in 2013. He took over the management and coaching of the Rough Riders in 2014. Over the past seven years within the league, he has participated in five World Series with the Rough Riders and assisted several other teams with the GSWS including a fifth place showing with Pride and a second place showing with Fusion. He was with the Rough Riders when they placed second in the Sin City Shootout in 2012. He has led the Rough Riders to a fifth, second, and third place showing in the Texas Shootout the past three years and several other top five wins in other NAGAAA tournaments throughout the US. In the past two years, he has taken on coaching a D division team along with the Rough Riders. As coach of the D team, the Warriors, they qualified for the GSWS in Austin with a tenth place showing after the Spring 2016 season. The Warriors then regrouped to form Austin 512 in the Fall of 2016, and the following year took fifth place in the Portland GSWS. He has since taken over management of Austin 512 in the Spring season of 2018. He has led both the Rough Riders and Austin 512 in qualifying for the 2018 GSWS in Tampa along with coaching assistance from fellow Austin Softball member and friend, Oscar Leal. In the past six seasons with both the Rough Riders and Austin 512, both teams have consistently finished among the top three Softball Austin teams in their respective divisions. Since taking over coaching and managing, he attends and participates in many of the Softball Austin Council Meetings, and is on the Ethics, Ratings, and Protest Committees. Tom is involved with recruitment days, promotes the league by opening his teams’ practices to both non-members and members of Softball Austin, and helps rate new recruits to place them on appropriate teams. He would also like to recognize his boyfriend, Luke Porter, for always being there and supporting him with so much time and effort that goes into running two teams and playing pretty much year round with Softball Austin and City League.
2017 Hall of Fame Inductees
Norman Coopee – 2017
Norman has been part of Softball Austin since Spring of 2008, when the Polar Bears softball team was created. Playing as a second baseman, he quickly found out that playing softball was not his forte, but didn’t want to leave this fine organization of friends. After three seasons of being a player, the opportunity to become the manager of the Polar Bears was available, and he quickly jumped into those shoes, leaving his cleats behind. He has been managing the team ever since. Norman also served on the Board of Directors as Competition Coordinator for 2 years, several Texas Shootout Committees, and most recently, as the Hospitality Director for the 2016 GSWS here in Austin. He has been with his team to 4 World Series, in Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Columbus, and Austin, and many out of town tournaments in Las Vegas, Houston, Dallas, and New Orleans.
Ram Rangel – 2017
Ram Rangel is not only an original member of Softball Austin but he is also a member of Austin’s first gay softball team that pre-dated the league. He played on the team that trounced a local radio station, 11 to 4, in a charity game known more as a game to see if the gay community could actually field a team that could compete. He has been competing in our league for 13 years. He left Austin briefly in 2008-09 for a job in Houston. Thankfully, he came back. The then-third baseman played for the Austin Bat Boys. He was on the very first team Austin sent to the Gay Softball World Series in 2005. The team traveled to San Diego and actually won a game, 5 to 4, over a team from Phoenix. But he himself had been to a GSWS the previous year playing for the Houston Bucks who placed 5th in the B division. That team went the Dallas GSWS where Ram discovered just how big the GSWS is but more how welcoming how welcoming the players were … and still are. He would play for and attend World Series for the Bat Boys in 2006 (Ft. Lauderdale), 2007 (Phoenix), and 2008 (Seattle). His willingness to see the league grow can be seen in his starting teams and recruiting new players for them. In 2005 he started the Austin Closers of the D Division. The next year he brought another D team into the league, the Austin Power. His first C team was formed in 2007 when the Austin Rams started. He helped lead that squad to a win in the Houston Lone Star Classic. In 2010 he helped start the Austin Stealth of the C Division. That team would go on to finish in second place in Austin’s Texas Shootout. Ram has been a staunch supporter of the league for the many years he has been a member. One of his strongest attributes is his ability to watch a player and provide feedback on his/her rating. His knowledge in this area makes him one of the first members sought out when a player’s rating might be in question. He has served on the Ratings Committee when asked. He has also served on the league’s Ethics Committee. In short, he is always willing to help his league when the league needs him to do so. Perhaps the crowning achievement in his time with Softball Austin came in 2015 when the GSWS was held in Columbus, OH. Up to that time only one Austin team had ever won a GSWS. After the Columbus series the number doubled as Ram led his Austin Outlaws to the C Division Championship. He and his team had an amazing run winning nine of the ten games they played … the other game, in pool play, ending in a tie. His ability as a player combined with his dedication to his teams and league and his advocacy for Softball Austin make Ram Rangel a Hall-of-Famer.
Arthur Allert – 2017
Arthur was an original member of Austin’s first gay softball team, the Bat Boys, in 1998. He worked to recruit additional players and teams and coordinated efforts with the city to create the first gay division of five teams in Austin City League in 2004. He served as interim assistant commissioner and coordinated operational efforts for the new division and league including Austin’s first representative at a NAGAAA and writing the articles of incorporation and was an instrumental figure in the creation of Softball Austin. Arthur has played in at least one season every year since 1998 on the Bat Boys, Shockers, Wranglers, Rams, Whackers, Chaos and Bat Boys 5.0 where he also served as either coach or co-coach as well as playing. He has been a part of multiple division winners and tournament champions as well as team MVP twice and currently is one of only two players in the league over 60 to be actively playing.
2016 Hall of Fame Inductees
Cat Eastmond – 2016
Cat moved to Austin in 2005 from Detroit, Michigan, and joined Softball Austin, first playing on a D division team named the “Closers”, and later founding the Love Monkeys, first an open division team in 2007, and later an inaugural women’s division team in 2012. She has served as Softball Austin’s delegate to the ASANA organization since 2010, representing Austin as a member of ASANA’s ethics and IOG committee. Recently, she accepted the role as the first women’s division commissioner for Softball Austin, and successfully bid for a 2017 ASANA World Series in Austin.
Albert Rodriguez – 2016
Albert Rodriguez is the Commissioner of Softball Austin. Albert was part of the original bid committee to help secure the 2016 Gay Softball World Series for Austin. Albert has been involved with Softball Austin since 2008 as a fan, manager, Texas Shootout Tournament Director, Softball Austin Competition Coordinator and Softball Austin Commissioner. Under the direction of Albert, the Texas Shootout Tournament has grown from 52 teams to a record 68 teams. The Texas Shootout is now the largest LGBT Softball Tournament in Texas and the region. Seeing the growth and opportunity, Albert helped separate the Texas Shootout into two tournaments with the Women’s division enjoying their own tournament weekend. Given his experience with the Texas Shootout Tournament and having first hand knowledge as a fan, coach and manager on several GSWS World Series teams, Albert serves as an Advisor to the 2016 Gay Softball World Series.
Rich Segal – 2016
Rich Segal has been a member of Softball Austin since the 2005 spring season. His tenure on the Softball Austin Board began in 2007 as secretary-treasurer before moving to being secretary in 2009. He served as secretary until 2010, then returned in 2011 and remained the league’s secretary until 2013 when he successfully ran to be the league’s Assistant Commissioner. He continues in that role today. Among the things he’s most proudest of is securing the league’s first non-profit status, the continued work in streamlining the league’s Instruments of Governance, and, most importantly, the continued growth of the league. Rich has been a member of B Division teams Bat Boys (2005 to 2009), Marvels (2014), and, most recently, the Hot Flash. He has always served in the roles of base coach and scorebook manager. Rich has been to all eleven GSWS since he joined the league whether with his team or to assist another Austin team doing its scorebook and/or base coaching. Rich also serves as an Advisor for the 2016 GSWS being held in Austin in August.
2015 Hall of Fame Inductees
Ted Burton – 2015
Ted Burton is a founding father of Softball Austin. It was his vision that led to Softball Austin being formed. He started gay softball in Austin in 1998 when he placed an ad in the Austin Chronicle looking for gay softball players to put together a competitive team. His efforts resulted in the first gay team taking the field in May of that year. The team was known as the Bat Boys. Ted and the Bat Boys took the lead in trying to form a second team, doing so by having a table set up at Pride 2001. A few years later, in 2004, Softball Austin was formed as the city’s only league for the LGBT community. Ted was the league’s first commissioner, serving in the role for four years. During that time Softball Austin saw growth each year. Under his leadership, Softball Austin became a member of NAGAAA in 2005. That same year, his team, the Bat Boys, traveled to San Diego as the first Softball Austin team to participate in the Gay Softball World Series. His vision and work was instrumental in leading to what we enjoy today, a league of our own.
Richard Benavidez – 2015
Richard Benavidez is also an original member of the league and a member of the legendary “Bat Boys” team. Richard was the league’s first Assistant Commissioner from 2004 to 2008 and the league’s second Commissioner from 2008 to 2010. Richard was asked again to step up for Softball Austin and serve a second term as both Assistant Commissioner (2011-2013) and Commissioner (2013-14). Richard has been both a player and a coach for as long as he has been a part of the league. He is one of the only members of the league to both coach/manage one team and play for another. In the past few years Richard created Pride, a D Division team that went on to finish 2nd at the 2014 NAGAAA World Series. He then expanded Pride to include a C Division team. Richard has spent countless hours in Softball Austin committee meetings and representing Softball Austin nationally at both tournaments and NAGAAA meetings.
Debbie Barrera – 2015
Debbie Barrera was one of the original members of the league, bringing her city league team, The Mullets, to the league in October 2004 and has been part of the league ever since. In addition to The Mullets, Debbie has been part of the Renegades, Rams, Show Us Your Hits and managed Sofa King Good. During her years as a Softball Austin member Debbie has not stopped at just playing and managing. Debbie has served on the Board of Softball Austin throughout the years as Secretary (2005-07) Public Relations Coordinator (2007-10) and Membership Coordinator (2011-2015). Her work over the years has helped expand the membership of Softball Austin from approximately 9 teams and 100 members in 2004 to over 450 members today. Debbie has also participated on a number of committees throughout the years, including the Texas Shootout Committee. She also represented the league by traveling to numerous NAGAAA and ASANA tournaments across the country.
