By Don Eskins
If they passed out Oscars for collegiate softball recruiting, Luna Community College head coach Randy Krutsch would certainly get one.
On Tuesday, December 3, in the Cavern City, Cavegirl softball’s Aubrey Hernandez signed a letter of intent to play collegiately for Krutsch’s Las Vegas, NM, based Rough Riders during the 2025-26 school year.
And as all Cavegirl softball fans must be thinking, Krutsch got a good one!
Hernandez, who will close out her high school career at CHS in the spring of 2025, has put up some impressive numbers over the past couple of years.
En route to helping the Cavegirls win the Class 5A state championship in 2023, she hit .356 with four home runs.
In 2024, she hit .323, and as the Cavegirl third baseman, fielded .923. At third, while handling 65 total chances, she registered 36 putouts and 24 assists with only five errors.
Also seeing time on the mound, she accumulated a record of 7-2 with an ERA of 4.50.
In 2023 and 2024, she received All-State and All-District honors for her stellar play.
So how was Krutsch able to lure Hernandez away from other prospective schools and convince this Cavegirl standout to play for his Luna Community College Rough Riders?
“I’d had a few other offers, but they just wanted me to pitch,” said Hernandez. “I wanted to do more than that. I wanted to hit and play the infield, too, preferably third base.
“Coach Krutsch told me that I’d be able to do that with the Rough Riders,” she said. “So, I decided to go with Luna Community College.”
But there were other things that drew Hernandez’s attention to Luna CC.
“It was close to home, and the area around Las Vegas is beautiful. The softball field is surrounded by mountains, so I know I’m going to love it there,” said the Rough Rider recruit. “When I made my visit, I was also impressed by the girls there. They were all really nice, and they made me feel welcome. After getting to meet the coaches and players and seeing how beautiful it was up there, I was ready to sign.”
Luna Community College is a two-year junior college and a member of the Western Junior College Athletic Conference. Last year, they were 21-28 overall and 8-16 in conference.
While the Carlsbad signee has been making plans for the future, she hasn’t forgotten those she’ll be leaving behind—especially those she’s spent so much time with on the Cavegirl Park Softball Field.
“To get this opportunity to play collegiate softball, I’ve had a lot of help. Coaches Santo, Landini, and Madrid have pushed me hard to get better every day, and they’ve been very supportive. I owe them a lot,” she said. “My teammates have helped, too. They’ve encouraged and pushed me also, not just to be a better softball player but also to be a better person.
“I’m also very appreciative of all the support I’ve gotten from my father and grandfather, David Hernandez,” she added. “They mean a great deal to me, and I love them so much.”
Aubrey is the daughter of Chris Hernandez and Michelle Snow.
As a student at CHS, Aubrey is a member of the National Jr. Honor Society, Student Council, and Interact. She was also a member of the Cavegirl soccer team.
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