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Hollister High School junior and San Jose Suncats Jimenez softball player Sophia Galindo has verbally committed to play Division I softball at the University of Tennessee.
Galindo is a three-year varsity player for the Balers who became a team captain during her sophomore year. She plays first and third base for both the Balers and the San Jose Suncats Jimenez Gutierrez team.
“I wanted a place where the community was really tight and the environment was welcoming,” Galindo said. “The coaches were so welcoming and opened up their houses to us, were very respectful, very caring, and it just felt like a second family.”
Galindo said that when she first visited the campus for a softball camp, she automatically felt connected to the Volunteers softball program. When she returned for her official visit, she said she had the same feeling, which solidified her decision to commit to Tennessee.
“I’ll be able to compete at the highest level while being surrounded with people who are willing and able to help me grow throughout these next four years of my life,” Galindo said. “What I’m most excited for is to be able to step in the shoes of people who, prior to me, have helped build the legacy there and made it the program it is today.”
Galindo said she is grateful for the opportunity to play at a four-year university and pursue higher education. Galindo said she will be the first person in her immediate family to attend a four-year school.
“I’m excited to be able to make my family proud and continue to get an education and be able to play the sport I love and to continue to make them proud of me,” she said.
Galindo said she is excited to face the University of Alabama, the Vols’ longtime rival.
“That’s something I want to experience, meeting them in their own field and being able to talk smack to them,” she said.
The Lady Vols softball program reached the semifinals of the 2026 Women’s College World Series, where Tennessee lost to the Texas Longhorns, who went on to become the tournament champion. Tennessee finished the 2026 season with a 40-12 overall record and made its 10th appearance in the Women’s College World Series—its third appearance in the last four seasons.
Galindo will graduate from Hollister High School in 2028. Until then, she will continue to play softball for both the Balers and the Suncats.
“Just because you commit, the grind isn’t over,” Galindo said. “I want to continue to work to be the best player I can be so when I come into my freshman year in college I hopefully can start and make an immediate impact.”
BenitoLink thanks our underwriter, Hollister Rotary, for helping expand the sports coverage around San Benito County. Rotary is a nonprofit organization that conducts humanitarian projects, encourages high ethical standards, and works toward world understanding. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour and Taylor Farms.
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