Juliana Altamirano Named PCFL Player of the Month for February

The Alliance Fastpitch proudly announces Juliana Altamirano (2028) from the Pacific Coast League (PCFL) as Player of the Month for her remarkable play in February 2024. Juliana Altamirano, a versatile player for Firecrackers Brashear/Thornburg 2028, excels her primary position—Shortstop. Her February stats include a .438 batting average, a .526 OBP, 3 singles, 2 doubles, 3 triples, 1 homerun, 4 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases.

Juliana Altamirano’s softball journey began with watching her sister play and found inspiration in her performances on the softball field. She developed a deep love for the sport, drawn to its ability to bring out her best self and provide opportunities to meet new people and discover more about herself.

A cherished softball memory for Juliana Altamirano is hitting her first over-the-fence home run in San Diego during her time in the 12U league. The exhilaration of seeing the ball clear the fence marked a significant milestone in her softball journey, filling her with a sense of accomplishment and pride.

Outside of softball, Juliana Altamirano finds joy in cross country running because it provides her with a sense of accomplishment as she continuously challenges herself. Her favorite softball player is Rachel Garcia.

Juliana Altamirano’s goals include becoming a better person, achieving high grades, and playing softball at the collegiate level. She is committed to personal growth, academic excellence, and pursuing her passion for softball at the next level. The Alliance Fastpitch commends Juliana Altamirano on her well-deserved recognition as Player of the Month, acknowledging her outstanding contributions to the sport and her commitment to personal and athletic growth.

Juliana Altamirano’s coach, Mark Thornburg, describes her as a player with a softball IQ way above her age group. This may be due to the fact that her older sister Gizelle Altamirano played softball at a very high level. Juliana is an athlete who plays for her team and sacrifices herself for her team. Sean Brashear and Mike Smith cannot wait until she gets to 16U so they can have her impact on their 16u team just as she is doing on my 8th-grade team. Juliana’s family is very important to her; she is a great kid that values hard work and family values. His favorite memory is the week before a big qualifier when Juliana went on a family vacation to Mexico. They faced flight cancellations, forcing them to miss practice and workouts leading up to the qualifier. With each canceled flight, there was growing concern that Juliana wouldn’t make it back in time. However, she managed to return to the USA just before the event. Despite not having touched a bat or glove for two weeks, Juliana walked into game 1 and homered in the 1st and 5th innings. Witnessing her performance, the coaches exchanged looks, acknowledging her exceptional talent and innate ability to rise to the occasion. They knew then that Juliana was truly a special player—a natural born competitor.

What is the Alliance Fastpitch Player Recognition Program?

The Player Recognition Program was built to recognize and spotlight our individual players in each Member League. Each month, registered Alliance Fastpitch coaches can nominate a player from their age division. League Leadership will review nominations and a monthly stats report from AthletesGoLive (AGL) to determine the League’s Player of the Month.

Following the announcement of each League’s Players of the Month, the Alliance Fastpitch will recognize a National Player of the Month. To be considered for Player of the Month, your team must score League games in AGL so your stats will be included in the League’s monthly report.