Cuevas tries for national team

Madera Coyote softball standout Aaliyah Cuevas spent last weekend in Mexico going through tryouts for the Mexican Jr. National team.

Cuevas spent three days in Tijuana at the Mexican Olympic Training Center. Her ultimate goal is to play in the 2020 Olympics.

“I played good,” she said. “I think I have a good chance to make the team. Compared to them, fundamentally-wise, I was more advanced than the other players. For my first time, I did way better than I expected. I was nervous going in. After I got onto the field, I felt good about myself. They told us that we were the best players on the field.”

Cuevas is a two-time All-Madera Tribune Softball Most Valuable Player and has made a verbal commitment to play softball at Fresno State.

“It was hard out there because it rained,” she said. “We didn’t go onto the field because it rained so we were on turf the whole time.”

Cuevas was invited to the Jr. National team tryouts and was able to bypass the first two tryouts.

“I passed the first two tryouts and made it to the final tryouts,” she said. “I had an advantage.”

Cuevas said they were supposed to post the results on the team’s website on Friday. As of press time, results weren’t available.

“They are supposed to have a younger and an older team so my chances are even better,” she said. “My dream has always been the 2020 Olympics. I was waiting for softball to be back.”

Cuevas scored the game-winning inside-the-park home run to help the Coyotes win their second Div. II Valley Championship. She begins her senior season Feb. 23 at Clovis West looking for head coach Judy Shaubach’s 600th career victory.