SAN ANTONIO – On Monday, head UTSA softball coach Vann Stuedeman officially announced the addition of former Texas A&M-International standout Heather Ruiz to the coaching staff ahead of the 2024 fall campaign.
“We are so excited to add Heather Ruiz to our coaching staff,” said Stuedeman. “She exudes excellence, radiates positivity and is an overall great person. She will be an excellent role model for our student athletes.”
Ruiz was a four-year starter for the Dustdevils, working a stellar .321 batting average across 393 plate appearances. She drove in 53 runs for the squad and was named to the All-Headland Conference All-Tournament teams in 2018 and 2019. Ruiz also got the job done in the classroom, picking up All-Academic honors in all four seasons, and was awarded Third-Team All-Conference in 2022.
Following her playing career, she joined the Dustdevils’ strength and conditioning staff as an intern in 2022, where she assisted in developing and implementing plans for women’s basketball, softball, and volleyball during all phases. She then joined UTSA, performing a similar role in the Roadrunners’ Sports Performance Department.
Ruiz then joined the UTSA softball staff as a graduate assistant in the spring of 2024, helping support the squad in various aspects of team operations and player development.
She graduated from TAMIU in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a minor in psychology. Additionally, Ruiz is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public health at UTSA, with an expected graduation in December of 2024.
Keep up with UTSA Softball all season long on goutsa.com, and by following the program on Facebook at /UTSASB, X (Twitter) @UTSASoftball, and on Instagram @utsasoftball.
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