Velasquez, Heethuis Named Santa Rosa Athletes of the Month

Brooke Heethuis and Jordan Velasquez have been honored as Santa Rosa Athletes of the Month for March.

Baseball star Jordan Velasquez and softball standout Brooke Heethuis have been honored as the March Santa Rosa Academy Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Month, sponsored by RE/MAX Diamond Realty.

Velasquez is hitting .469 to lead the Freelance Division for the Rangers, who are 6-4 in their second year playing a freelance schedule. The senior plays shortstop and pitcher.

"Our pitching has been improving and the team skill level has been getting better every single game," he said. "We could go to the playoffs, but being a freelance team, it's not easy."

Velasquez hopes to attend Mt. San Jacinto College and play baseball there next year.

Heethuis is just a freshman but is a team captain of the softball team, which is in its first season of existence. Only three players have previous softball experience so her experience in years of youth softball has proved to be valuable.

"We're doing OK," Heethuis said about the challenge of building a team in its first year of freelance play at the CIF level. "We're not going to the playoffs or anything, but we're improving.

"It's been pretty much a learning experience, but nobody's losing that drive we have," said Heethuis, who is a softball and pitcher. "I'd love to keep heading in the right direction and helping my team improve."

Velasquez and Heethuis received a certificate from Menifee 24/7 and a Target gift card from RE/MAX Diamond Realty.