Jessica Mendoza
Encyclopedia
Jessica Mendoza is an American
softball
player of Mexican
descent, who played for the United States women's national softball team
from 2004-2010 and a four-time first team All-American at Stanford University
from 1999-2002. Mendoza wears number two and plays outfield
.
, was named Los Angeles Times
Player of the Year in 1998. During her junior and senior year, she was named Camarillo High School Female Athlete of the Year. Mendoza was also a member of the high school basket ball team and was the team MVP in both her junior and senior years.
, where she was named the Stanford Athlete of the Year three times. Mendoza helped lead Stanford to their first ever NCAA Women's College World Series
appearance. She was named First-Team All-American for all four years and four-time All Pac-10 first team. She was also named Pac-10 Player of the Week three times, a top 25 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, and the Speedline Invitational Tournament MVP.
In 2001, Mendoza earned the Pac-10 Player of the Year award and was also named the NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player and was the Stanford Female Conference Athlete of the Year. Mendoza graduated from Stanford with a Master’s Degree in Social Sciences
and Education
.
In 2008, Mendoza was again an outfielder for Team U.S.A. in the Olympic Games
in Beijing, China. This time, her team won the silver medal, losing to Japan
in the finals.
, Mendoza went directly onto the U.S.A. team. In 2003 and 2005, she was a gold medalist at the Pan American Games
. She also won the silver medal at both the World Cup and Japan Cup. In 2006, Jessica was named the USA Softball Female Athlete of the Year. She played for Team U.S.A. in the World Cup again in 2007, this time bringing home that gold medal. She went 11-for-18 with a double, three home runs, and 16 RBIs. Mendoza won the ISF Women's World Championship
, hitting a .500 batting average
with five home runs and 16 RBIs. In 2008, she was named to the Canada Cup All Star Team.
Mendoza declined an invitation to play for Team U.S.A. in 2011 to focus on National ProFastpitch .
Mendoza is the Women's Sports Foundation
President and ian ESPN
color analyst during the Woman's College World Series. She is an athletic ambassador
for Team Darfur
and board member of the National Education Association
. Currently, she is a member of the Florida Pride NPF team.
, Elena and Alana. Her father played football for four years for Fresno State University in California
. Mendoza is married to Adam Burks and they have one son named Caleb Ashton.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
player of Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
descent, who played for the United States women's national softball team
United States women's national softball team
|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle |bgcolor=white|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle |bgcolor=white...
from 2004-2010 and a four-time first team All-American at Stanford University
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
from 1999-2002. Mendoza wears number two and plays outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
.
High School
Mendoza, a graduate of Adolfo Camarillo High SchoolAdolfo Camarillo High School
Adolfo Camarillo High School is a high school located at 4660 Mission Oaks Boulevard in Camarillo, California. It was recognized as a California Distinguished School in 1996 and in 2009 and a National Blue Ribbon School in 1998. It is part of the Oxnard Union High School District. The land was...
, was named Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
Player of the Year in 1998. During her junior and senior year, she was named Camarillo High School Female Athlete of the Year. Mendoza was also a member of the high school basket ball team and was the team MVP in both her junior and senior years.
College
Mendoza played softball for Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, where she was named the Stanford Athlete of the Year three times. Mendoza helped lead Stanford to their first ever NCAA Women's College World Series
Women's College World Series
The Women's College World Series is the final portion of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship for college softball in the United States. The tournament format consists of two four-team double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket then compete in a best-of-three title game series...
appearance. She was named First-Team All-American for all four years and four-time All Pac-10 first team. She was also named Pac-10 Player of the Week three times, a top 25 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, and the Speedline Invitational Tournament MVP.
In 2001, Mendoza earned the Pac-10 Player of the Year award and was also named the NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player and was the Stanford Female Conference Athlete of the Year. Mendoza graduated from Stanford with a Master’s Degree in Social Sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
and Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
.
Olympics
In 2004, Mendoza was a starting outfielder for U.S.A. at 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Mendoza hit 5-for-20 (.250) scoring five times herself and hitting in another five RBIs. Team U.S.A. won the gold medal.In 2008, Mendoza was again an outfielder for Team U.S.A. in the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in Beijing, China. This time, her team won the silver medal, losing to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in the finals.
Professional Career
Straight out of collegeCollege
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, Mendoza went directly onto the U.S.A. team. In 2003 and 2005, she was a gold medalist at the Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
. She also won the silver medal at both the World Cup and Japan Cup. In 2006, Jessica was named the USA Softball Female Athlete of the Year. She played for Team U.S.A. in the World Cup again in 2007, this time bringing home that gold medal. She went 11-for-18 with a double, three home runs, and 16 RBIs. Mendoza won the ISF Women's World Championship
ISF Women's World Championship
The ISF Women's World Championship is a fastpitch softball tournament for women's national teams held every four years by the International Softball Federation . The number of teams in the tournament began at five in its inaugural event in 1965, went to a high of 28 for the 1994 edition , and now...
, hitting a .500 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with five home runs and 16 RBIs. In 2008, she was named to the Canada Cup All Star Team.
Mendoza declined an invitation to play for Team U.S.A. in 2011 to focus on National ProFastpitch .
Mendoza is the Women's Sports Foundation
Women's Sports Foundation
The Women's Sports Foundation "is an educational nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by tennis legend Billie Jean King." Its stated mission statement is "To advance the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity."...
President and ian ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
color analyst during the Woman's College World Series. She is an athletic ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
for Team Darfur
Team Darfur
Team Darfur is an international association of athletes devoted to raising awareness of humanitarian crises related to War in Darfur. It is among the many organizations that consider the War to involve genocide....
and board member of the National Education Association
National Education Association
The National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
. Currently, she is a member of the Florida Pride NPF team.
Personal
A daughter of Karen and Gil Mendoza, Jessica has one brother, Walt, and two sistersSisters
Sisters are female siblings.Sisters or The Sisters may also refer to:* More than one nun-Film:* The Sisters , starring Lillian Gish* Sisters , starring Molly O'Day...
, Elena and Alana. Her father played football for four years for Fresno State University in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Mendoza is married to Adam Burks and they have one son named Caleb Ashton.