CARLSBAD’S FAITH ARAGON NAMED GATORADE NEW MEXICO SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Faith Aragon of Carlsbad High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade New Mexico Softball Player of the Year. Aragon is the third Gatorade New Mexico Softball Player of the Year to be chosen from Carlsbad High School.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Aragon as New Mexico’s best high school softball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Aragon joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Jordyn Bahl (2020-21, Papillion-La Vista High School, Neb.), Megan Faraimo (2017-18, Cathedral Catholic High School, Calif.), Rachel Garcia (2014-15, Highland High School, Calif.) and Cat Osterman (2000-01, Cypress Springs High School, Texas).
The 5-foot-5 senior left-handed pitcher led the Cavegirls (29-3) to their second consecutive Class 5A state championship this past season, hurling a seven-inning shutout in a 6-0 win over Piedra Vista. Aragon compiled a 16-1 record with a 0.61 ERA in 103.2 innings pitched, striking out 189 batters against just 23 walks. She fired three no-hitters in 2023. Aragon also batted .632 with 13 home runs, 52 RBIsand scored 62 runs while posting a 1.975 OPS. She’s also the state’s returning Gatorade Softball Player of the Year.
Aragon volunteers locally with the Carlsbad High School Interact Club and helps organize the Carlsbad Rotary Board’s annual pancake breakfast. “Faith Aragon would be my first, second and third choice for this award,” said Hobbs High School head coach Dean Crossland. “She hit six or seven homers against us in four games and also beat us twice pitching. Enough said.”
Aragon has maintained a 3.63 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball on scholarship at the University of Texas-El Paso this fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
Two-time winner Aragon joins recent Gatorade New Mexico Softball Players of the Year RyLee Crandall (2020-21, Artesia High School), Brianna Gallegos (2019-20, Rio Rancho High School), and Briana Martinez (2018-19, Rio Rancho High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.
Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.
