Credit to Tyler Pounds | Associate Director, Athletics Communications – 12thman.com
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M softball head coach Trisha Ford announced the hiring of Eric Leyba as an assistant coach on Monday.
Leyba comes to Aggieland after spending the previous five seasons at Oregon State working with the infielders and hitters.
“We are excited to add Eric [Leyba] to our staff as he brings a wealth of knowledge, experience but more importantly the ability to connect with our players,” Ford said. “Coach Leyba has been around the game of fastpitch softball most of his life as both a player and coach. His ability to recruit nationwide, identify talent and elevate their level of play once they get to campus is something that I am looking forward to.”
In 2023, Leyba coached infielders Frankie Hammoude and Kaiea Higa to All-Pac 12 Third Team and Pac 12 All-Freshman honors, respectively.
Leyba helped lead the Beavers to one of the best seasons in program history in 2022. Oregon State finished with a 39-22 record and a trip to the Women’s College World Series for the second time in school annals and the first since 2006. Under Leyba’s guidance, Hammoude was named to the NFCA All-Pacific Region First Team as a junior and earned back-to-back All-Pac 12 First Team recognition.
Prior to his time in Corvallis, Leyba served as head coach for 15 years at Churchill High School in Eugene, Oregon, including winning a state title in 2016.
Leyba started his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, New Mexico State, in 1989 before he was named interim head coach for the 1994 season. Following the time at NM State, he was an assistant coach at Oregon in 1997-99, working primarily with hitting and pitching.
As an athlete, Leyba began playing fast pitch at the age of 16. He was selected to the Mexican National Team in 1994 and was named Most Valuable Pitcher on the U23 Mexican National Team.