Rawnie Weststrate is the first Canadian-born player in the history of the Texas Tech University women’s softball program.
The 17-year-old Delta Heat standout signed her National Letter of Intent on Wednesday as part of the NCAA early signing period for 2020 high school graduates. The lucrative four-year full-ride scholarship will kick in next September.
The Red Raiders are part of the Big 12 Conference and finished last season with a 42-16 overall record.
Weststrate was an aged-up star pitcher with the 2001 Heat — one of the most decorated teams in the history of girls softball in Delta. Her final start was back in July at USA Softball’s 18UA Western Nationals in Salem, Ore. where she pitched a complete game shutout in a 5-0 win over the Benicia Outlaws from California.
It was also where the Red Raiders got one final look at Weststrate after initially scouting her a few weeks earlier at Softball City as a member of the junior national team. The 6-foot right-hander is the lone pitcher in the school’s six player recruiting class.
“(Rawnie) does not back down from any opponent. I first saw her throw against a very competitive national team, with a stadium full of people in attendance and not look rattled in the least! Her international experience will bring competitiveness and depth to our current pitching staff,” said Texas Tech head coach Adrian Gregory.
It was on her way to a world qualifier tournament in Columbia in October when Weststrate made an official visit to the Lubbock campus.
She soaked in the entire NCAA experience, including taking in the Red Raiders football game against rival Oklahoma State in front of 60,000 fans at Jones AT&T Stadium. She made a verbal commitment before departing to join her Canadian teammates.
“As soon as I was there it was like this is where I want to be for the next four years. It was amazing,” said the Grade 12 Sands Secondary student who was named Delta’s Youth Female Athlete of the Year last month. “It was game day weekend so everyone was going crazy. It seemed like every student was there and the parking lots were packed with tailgating.”
Weststrate admits she has thought about taking her career to the NCAA Division One level almost back to the days when her dad Jason coached her in T-Ball. More recently, there was more thought about staying north of the border until learning how much fun her friend and teammate Kianna Jones has had during her freshman season at Minnesota.
“You are told as a young softball player growing up in Canada, the best of the best go down to the States to play. You see these top players going to these schools and you think ‘that’s where I want to be too,’” explained Weststrate.
She had completed her first season at U14 when the decision was made to join her older sister Jessie full-time on the 2001 team that was entering U16. A year later, the Heat won the national title at North Delta Community Park. Almost the entire roster has moved onto the college or university level, including Jessie who is with Douglas College now and eventually is headed to Simon Fraser University.
“It was the best four years of my life,” said Weststrate of her time with the 2001s. “At first I was Jessie’s sister, the pick-up player. It felt so good (establishing myself) as a starting pitcher. Coaches Bill (Olexa), Bob (Houtman) and Doug (Harris) were just amazing. They taught me so much about the game and so much about life in general. It was a complete honour to be part of the team.”
Westsrate’s plans for 2020 include earning a spot back on the national team for the World Junior Championships in Peru. She will also be in Heat colours again, with a newly formed 2002 team that will be coached by Olexa, Houtman and Harris.
They are already off to a good start with a future Red Raider in the pitching circle.
