Islanders & Javelinas Honored at South Texas Softball & Baseball Winter Banquet
CORPUS CHRISTI – Kendra Winfrey and Jackson Smith of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Arianna Alaniz and Jayden Martinez will be recognized Thursday, January 15 at the Hilliard Center’s Henry Garrett Ballroom in recognition of their standout 2025 campaigns. The 20th South Texas Softball and Baseball Winter Banquet, presented
CORPUS CHRISTI – Kendra Winfrey and Jackson Smith of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Arianna Alaniz and Jayden Martinez will be recognized Thursday, January 15 at the Hilliard Center’s Henry Garrett Ballroom in recognition of their standout 2025 campaigns.
The 20th South Texas Softball and Baseball Winter Banquet, presented by Whataburger, is headlined by Corpus Christi native, Team USA member, and Banana Ball coach Valerie Perez.
After making four appearances and two starts as a freshman pitcher for the Islanders, Winfrey won five games her sophomore season. Along with tying for the 2025 Islanders team lead in victories, she paced the club in ERA (4.07) and appearances (27).
Winfrey matched the A&M-CC standard in complete games by going the distance five times among her 13 starts. The Ankeny, Iowa native was one of two Islanders to pitch a shutout as she permitted just five hits in seven innings February 28 at Colorado State. A&M-CC supported the effort with a marker in the seventh to win, 1-0. Winfrey began the month by limiting Bryant to two runs over 5 1/3 innings in her season debut.
Winfrey pitched seven innings on four occasions during Southland Conference play, including a March 8 triumph opposite UIW when she clipped the Cardinals to one earned run. The 5-foot-8 lefty closed a 3-0 setback March 21 by dispatching 14 of 17 HCU Huskies faced. After not allowing an earned run to Southeastern March 27, Winfrey twirled seven frames of three-run ball April 4 against Lamar. She pitched complete games in back-to-back assignments, April 11 vs. Nicholls and April 18 vs. SFA.
In his first season at A&M-CC, Smith posted a team-best .881 OPS in 44 games and 34 starts. The junior first baseman from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M batted .285 with 12 extra-base hits, including 6 home runs. Smith augmented the production with a .401 on-base percentage after coaxing 24 walks against only 33 strikeouts in 152 plate appearances.
In 25 Southland games, Smith turned in a 1.026 OPS which ranked seventh in the conference. After totaling three hits and an RBI in the season opener vs. Kansas, the left-handed hitter went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI in the Islanders win over future College World Series qualifier UCLA to open the Kleberg Bank College Classic at Whataburger Field.
Hailing from Owasso, Oklahoma, Smith helped A&M-CC to consecutive triumphs against Washington State, going 5-for-9 with three runs scored, a double, and two RBIs. His round-trippers came in a six-game stretch, beginning with a two-homer night April 13 vs. Southeastern.
Smith went deep in each of his next two contests, producing a season-best four RBIs April 18 at McNeese. He knocked in three runs in back-to-back games to open the next SLC series vs. UIW, combining to go 5-for-7 with a double and two circuit clouts. Smith finished the season by driving in three runs against No. 3 seeded Lamar in the SLC tournament.
In her first collegiate campaign, Alaniz shined for TAMUK Softball, becoming the first Javelina to win Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Year. The right-handed pitcher from Palmview High School posted a 3.13 ERA while striking out 200 batters in 152 innings. Alaniz is fourth player in program history to record 200 Ks in a season, averaging 9.2 whiffs per seven innings pitched, a top-10 mark in the nation.
Among her 29 appearances and 21 starts, Alaniz won 12 contests, pitched 15 complete games, and three shutouts. With seven appearances of 10 or more strikeouts, she held foes to a .223 batting average. In late February, Alaniz blanked UTPB by fanning a season-high 14 batters over six one-hit innings. Her next outing was a tough-luck loss against Angelo State as Alaniz struck out 11 against two runs and three hits.
Alaniz worked both ends of a March 2 doubleheader at Lubbock Christian, striking out nine in a five-inning, run-rule shortened Game 1 victory. She then saved the nightcap after recording four Ks while retiring all six Chaps faced. Alaniz closed February and opened March with consecutive LSC Pitcher of the Week awards.
Martinez, who helped London High School win the 2022 Class 3A baseball state championship, transferred to TAMUK from Eastern New Mexico. In his first season with the Javelinas, the junior catcher batted .341 with 16 runs, three doubles, 14 RBIs, and three steals in four attempts. Among his 34 games played, 28 were starts. Martinez reached base at a .406 clip, and was hit by seven pitches while striking out only seven times.
Behind the plate, Martinez controlled the running game at a 47% caught-stealing rate as he threw out 18 of 38 would-be base thieves.
TAMUK won 13 of Martinez’s first 17 assignments, with the Corpus Christi native driving in a season-high three runs February 7 at Cameron. Reaching safely in 26 of 34 games, Martinez recorded hits in 8 of his final 10 contests. His 2025-best for base hits came April 17 when Martinez went 4-for-5 in the series opener vs. St. Edwards. In the three-game sweep of the Hilltoppers, he recorded eight hits in 12 at-bats, including three doubles.
Reserved seats for the 20th South Texas Softball & Baseball Winter Banquet are $70. Henry Garrett Ballroom doors open at 6 pm. Click Here, call 361-561-HOOK (4665), or visit the Whataburger Field Box Office for tickets.
Read More about the banquet award winners:
Lee Yeager, Lifetime Achievement