On Friday afternoon, legendary Weslaco shortstop Andrea Ortiz signed to play softball at Incarnate Word.

"It means a lot to me," Ortiz said of her signing. "All my hard work has paid off, I'm able to sign at a really good college. A college that I've dreamed of for a long time."

Ortiz rose to fame in the RGV as a sophomore after her walk-off grand slam in the 2024 state title game to win the 2024 state championship for Weslaco. The Lady Panthers became the first Valley school to ever win a state championship in softball. Ortiz was named state tournament MVP.

During her junior season, Ortiz was named a first-team all-district selection. She's started for the team in every single season of her high school career.

Incarnate Word finished with a record of 29-21 during the 2025 season including 17-10 in conference play. The team posted a 34-17 record in 2024.

"The coach, I can tell that she's going to be really hard on me and put me in check which is something that I really want," Ortiz said. "I know I'm going to have a coach that's going to push me to my full potential."

The Lady Panthers have a total of five players signing to play college softball in the month of December. They start the 2026 season in February with non-district play.