BALTIMORE, Md. (June 22, 2023)-Morgan State graduate utility player and pitcher Melissa Paz has had a busy couple of weeks representing El Salvador as a member of the Salvadorian National Team and she's just getting her feet wet.
 
Paz recently spent a week in Havana, Cuba where she was given the opportunity to join the Salvadorian National Selection Team for a week-long of training and scheduled games against the Cuban National Softball Team. The training was to prepare both teams for the upcoming Central American and Caribbean Games, which will take place in San Salvador, El Salvador (July 2-7).
 
"I would have really never imagined that the Salvadorian National Team would have ever reached out to my family and I," said Paz, who was in the process of leaving for El Salvador tonight. "It is a true honor to represent my parents, family, and the country of El Salvador in the Central American and Caribbean Games this year. What an honor it is to be a part of this team."
 
Paz's journey to the Central American and Caribbean Games began in December 2022, when the Salvadorian National Team reached out to her father wanting to schedule a meeting with her to see if she would like to join them for the summer of 2023.
 
"When I came home for the Christmas break, I went ahead and had the meeting to discuss my position moving forward as part of the national selection," said Paz, a native of Slymar, Calif. "Since then, I have been a part of the team, which I made publicly known in April."
 
While in Cuba the team played in five games, three nine inning contests and two seven inning games. Paz played in all five games as either a pitcher, at third base or as the designated player. She posted a .333 batting average, gave up two earned runs in 11 innings pitched and had a .1000 fielding percentage.
 
Next up for Paz is the Central American and Caribbean Games with the Salvadorian National Team July 2-7, hosted in San Salvador, El Salvador.

The team will compete against the National teams of Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. The other bracket will consist of the National teams from Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, and Curacao. The two winners from both brackets will compete for the gold, followed by a silver and bronze medalist.
 
Paz and her teammates are looking to capture gold, while defending their home turf.

Said Paz, "the team motto right now is "El Oro se queda en Casa" meaning "the gold stays at home".

This past season Paz started 40 of 44 games for Morgan State and batted .275 to help the Lady Bears capture their third consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the league tournament.
 
Paz finished the season with 25 hits, including eight doubles in 91 at bats. She tallied four runs, 19 RBI and had 30 walks. She also made 11 appearances on the mound, making one start and struck out six in 17 innings of work.
 
A 2023 Preseason All-MEAC Second Team selection, Paz garnered First-Team All-MEAC honors as a utility player. She finished the season leading the MEAC in on base percentage (.481) and was tied for first in walks (30). She also ranked third in hit by pitch (8).
 
In 2021, Paz forever etched her name in Morgan State softball history. The Lady Bears, who were making their first-ever NCAA Postseason softball appearance, squared off against the overall No. 1 seed Oklahoma. Paz would single up the middle with one out in the second inning to register the Lady Bears' lone hit of the game, as well as the first hit in MSU postseason history.
 
Paz, who will wrap up her Morgan State softball career following the 2024 campaign, graduated from Morgan in 3 ½ years with a degree in Business Administration in December 2022. She is currently working on her Master's degree in Business Administration.
 
 
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Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.