FULLERTON, Calif. – Former Arizona State Sun Devil and current Texas Charge pitcher Dallas Escobedo will bring her talents to Cal State Fullerton as she joins the Titan Softball program as its new Assistant Coach. It was announced Wednesday by Head Coach Kelly Ford.
Escobedo is looking forward to joining the coaching staff and is grateful for this next step in her softball journey.
"I am very excited for the opportunity to continue to learn, grow, and teach the game that has given me so much," said Escobedo. "I want to say thank you to the coaches and CSUF community for welcoming me to be apart of the program. I am eager and ready to work with the amazing athletes and could not think of a better place to begin. Go Titans!"
"Dallas and I actually share a common link because we were both coached by Clint Meyers when we played and we both won championships under his leadership," said Coach Ford. "He was a very important mentor for both of us and because of that we share a lot of the same ideals."
Coach Ford also went on to say, "what really drew my attention in with Dallas was her character. She's a very genuine, loyal, and caring person. Not only will she be a great fit as a coach in our program, but she is going to be an outstanding role model for our student-athletes as well. I believe all of our players, parents, recruits, alumni, everybody will be drawn to her character as well and who she is as a person."
Associate Head Coach Jorge Araujo also shares some history with Escobedo as he coached her on the Mexican National Team in 2012.
"She's a special, young woman," Araujo said. "Not only is she one of the best to play the game, but she is a student of the game. She constantly wants to learn and give back to the softball world. She will immediately make Cal State Fullerton softball better.
Assistant Coach Caitlin Grimes is also excited for Escobedo to join the coaching staff, "I'm really excited to learn from Dallas and work alongside her. And since she's training to be on the Olympic team in 2020, she will not only be helping our pitchers out, but she will be throwing live to our hitters which will be fantastic work for them."
Escobedo joins the Titan family following her fourth season in the National Pro Fastpitch League and in the midst of training to be on the Olympic team for the sport's grand return in 2020. She will serve primarily as a pitching coach for the team as well as assist in recruiting.
The right-hander was taken as the number one overall pick in the NPF Draft in 2014 to the Pennsylvania Rebellion where she played for three seasons before signing with the Texas Charge in January of 2016.
Prior to being drafted, Escobedo was one of the best pitchers to ever throw for Arizona State University. She finished her career as one of the most decorated Sun Devils in history, including a national championship in 2011 and three trips to the Women's College World Series. She was an All-American three times, a NFCA All-Region Team member three times, and an All-Pac 12 Team member four times among many other accolades.
In her four years in Tempe, she threw 173 games and owns a collegiate career 2.01 ERA. She ranks second all-time in wins (115) and strikeouts (1,222) in Sun Devil history and threw three no-hitters in college including the first and only one in ASU postseason history. She also holds the fourth, fifth and sixth highest strikeout totals in a single season in the program's history.
Escobedo will take on a pitching staff that sported a 2.69 earned run average, .238 batting average against, and 342 strikeouts in 409 innings last season.
Escobedo completes Head Coach Kelly Ford's coaching staff replacing Tori Tyson who is now coaching in Maryland.
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