CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Hitting the ground running for his first year at the helm of the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball program, head coach Mark Montgomery announced the signing of four newcomers for the 2026 roster Thursday.
Mackenzie Durr, Rylee Guthrie, Angelina Hernandez, and Sydney Salinas will all join the Islanders for the start of the Montgomery era. The three transfers and one freshman join an additional four freshmen - Eva Gallegos, Avery Allen,Jada Zepeda, and Kayla Santiago - who committed to A&M-Corpus Christi last fall as the 2026 newcomers.
Durr is a 5'10" pitcher from Scottsdale, Arizona, and transfers in from Yavapai College where she was an NJCAA Second Team All-Region and All-Conference selection. During her high school career, she led her team to back-to-back State Championships in 2023 and 2024 and pitched herself onto the All-Region First Team in 2022 and 2024.
"Mackenzie is a talented pitcher from Arizona," said Montgomery. "She has command over both sides of the plate and some tremendous movement. She will be a strong addition to our pitching staff this year."
Guthrie, from New Iberia, Louisiana, comes in as a 5'5" catcher after spending last season at Baton Rouge Community College under the direction of Mark Suire who joined Montgomery's staff this year as assistant coach. In high school, she earned All-District honors all four years including being a First Team Utility player in 2023.
"Rylee has a strong arm and should be able to help slow the running game of some of the top teams in our conference," Montgomery said.
Hernandez is a 5'3" catcher from Mathis, Texas and recently graduated from Mathis high School where she was a four-year letterwinner. She completed her high school career with a .462 batting average including a .571 clip her senior season. Behind the plate, she caught for 849 putouts in her career.
"Angelina is a local product with a huge upside. She is a feisty catcher with a real energy and passion for the game," said Montgomery.
Salinas will return home to Corpus Christi after playing at Lamar State College-Port Arthur. The local athlete a 5'7" infielder who graduated from Flour Bluff High School in 2022, where she helped lead the team to district titles in 2019 and 2022. At Lamar State College, she was an All-Conference Second Team selection in Region 14.
"Sydney is a Corpus Christi native who had an excellent career at third base for Lamar State College. We expect her to continue her stellar play with us back here at home," said Montgomery.
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