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CV softball standout Victoria Martinez Lloyd commits to Tigers
Victoria Martinez Lloyd UOP
Central Valley senior Victoria Martinez Lloyd plans to play softball for NCAA Division-I UOP in the near future.

Victoria Martinez Lloyd will become just the second softball player from Central Valley High School to compete at the NCAA Division-I level.  

The senior third baseman announced her verbal commitment to the University of the Pacific (UOP) via social media on Nov. 10.

Academic and athletic scholarships will cover Martinez Lloyd’s tuition and expenses.

“It’s a blessing from God,” said Martinez Lloyd. “I’ve always had a dream of playing college softball at the Division-I level. Not a lot of people get to experience that.”

Martinez Lloyd is looking forward to reuniting with older sister Scarlett, who transferred to the Stockton university this fall.

Scarlett, a 2020 Central Valley graduate, spent her sophomore and freshman years at Wagner College in New York. She became the first Hawk softball player to earn a Division-I scholarship.

A standout pitcher, Scarlett set Wagner’s single-season record for strikeouts in a season with 116 this past spring.

Scarlett earned first-team all-league honors three times at the prep level. She batted .556 with one homer, three doubles, 20 hits, five RBIs and five runs en route to winning the Central California Conference Offensive Player of the Year award as a junior. She was also the Hawks’ ace pitcher.

Victoria and Scarlett played one season together at Central Valley.

“I didn’t want to go to a college far from home. I want my family to be able to watch me and my sister play together. That means everything. We have a close relationship. I trust her. Whenever I need advice, I can go to her. She’s always been supportive. We’ll be able to create even more memories and grow closer than we have been. I’m grateful. We’re both equally good at the sport. But we play different positions.”

Victoria watched Scarlett and UOP play this past fall.

She said she visited the campus more than once and after researching it “realized it’s a really good school for academics and athletics.”

She has yet to pay the campus her official visit yet.

Martinez Lloyd plans to major in criminal justice at UOP and go to law school.

Victoria exchanged text messages with head coach Brian Kolze prior to committing to the Tigers.

She was also recruited by assistant coach Hailey Decker who watched Martinez Lloyd hit, field and scrimmage at an Elite College Camp on Oct. 22 in San Jose.

UOP amassed a 12-37 overall record and placed sixth in the West Coast Conference standings with a 2-12 mark this past spring.

“I’ve been in contact with the head coach for a month. He asked me if I wanted to be a part of the program. I said ‘yes.’ It’s not going to be easy to get a starting spot. I’m going to push myself harder and work more. I need to keep practicing.”

Martinez Lloyd plans to sign her national letter of intent in front of Scarlett, parents Chris and Bellia, grandparents Ruben and Betty, and uncle Macus later this month or during the springtime. She’ll most likely celebrate the accomplishment inside Central Valley’s gymnasium.

“It will mean a lot to have everyone there,” she said.

Martinez Lloyd has filled a key role on Central Valley’s softball team since freshman year.

She was named to the Central California Conference First Team as a junior.

She batted .424 from the plate with two homers, one triple, six doubles, 12 RBIs and eight runs.

Martinez Lloyd was selected to the WAC South Division First Team as a sophomore.

She batted .595 with 12 RBIs and 10 runs.

She had an on-base plus slugging percentage of .625.

Martinez Lloyd and the Hawks had their 2020 campaign cut short due to the COVID pandemic.

She hit .269 with two triples, three doubles, nine RBIs and 10 runs as Central Valley won three of its final four games en route to compiling a 5-5 overall record.

She has a weighted grade-point average of 3.83.

Martinez Lloyd started playing travel softball 10 years ago. She was a member of the Batbusters from 2013-22. She’s taken private hitting lessons since the age of 13 from Eddie Brooks at the D&D Sports Academy in Lodi.

Recently she earned a spot on the Charlie Pikas-led Under-18 All American Sports Academy team.

“There are times you don’t want to practice,” said Martinez Lloyd. “But you have to push through and keep working hard. It takes a lot of work to make your dream happen. I’m extremely thankful for my family and what they’ve done for me. I owe a huge thank you to my mom because she made sacrifices for me to achieve my goal. She took me to practices and games in Lodi and Stockton. If it wasn’t for (Scarlett), I probably wouldn’t have had this dream at all.”

Victoria and Scarlett Lloyd
Victoria Martinez Lloyd (left) will team up with older sister Scarlett at UOP during the 2023-24 school year.leader. - photo by DALE BUTLER/ Courier file photo