CLEVELAND ( Associated Press) – Amanda Kamekona, a former softball star at UCLA, has been hired by the Cleveland Rangers as the minor league hitting coach. She will become the first field coach in the club’s history.
Kamekona will spend the entire year at the team’s training complex in Goodyear, Arizona, working on player development. The Guardians field an Arizona Rookie League team.
With the arrival of the 36-year-old former player, the process of adding women coaches to its staff continues. Cleveland had a mental ability coach, but they never had a coach on the field with the players.
Kamekona played for two years with Cal State-Fullerton before transferring to UCLA in 2018. He was named a third-team All-American twice and helped the Bruins go 96–20 over two seasons.
His UCLA record with eight RBIs in a game still stands. Kamekona led UCLA in nearly every offensive category in 2008 with 14 home runs, 46 RBI, 17 doubles and 47 runs scored.
After college, he played in the National Pro Fastpitch League with Carolina and New York-New Jersey. He later coached at Limestone College and Brevard College, and most recently at Bishop Amat Memorial High School in La Puente, California.
In recent years, MLB has increased its efforts to provide opportunities for female coaches on the field. Last season, Rachel Balkovac became the first female manager at an affiliated minor league team when she was hired by the New York Yankees to lead the Class A team in Tampa, Florida.
Also San Francisco’s Alyssa Naken became the first female head coach on the field in a season game as first base coach against the San Diego Padres.
