MDC head softball coach Gina De Aguero has led the Sharks to three conference titles and a fifth-place showing in the 2015 national tournament.

But perhaps De Aguero’s biggest thrill as MDC’s coach came in 2022, when her squad was named No. 1 in the state with a 3.62 team grade-point average.

In addition, since being hired by MDC in January of 2012, De Aguero has coached 158 softball players who have been named all-conference academically.

“My biggest focus is for each of my players to leave here better than they arrived,” De Aguero said. “I want them to grow as athletes, as students and as people.”

A native of Miami; virtually all of De Aguero’s career as a player and as a coach has happened in the Magic City.

At St. Brendan High, De Aguero played catcher, second base and shortstop, helping the Sabres reach the regional finals during her junior season. Individually, she made All-Dade in each of her four years on varsity.

Following shoulder surgery, De Aguero played her sophomore season at Miami Dade College, where she majored in Education and earned her Associate in Arts degree. During that breakout sophomore year, De Aguero made first-team All-Southern Conference as a shortstop, leading MDC to the state tournament.

De Aguero capped her playing career at St. Thomas University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies and Secondary Education. On the field, she made no errors as a junior, rotating between second base and center field.

As a coach, De Aguero began her career as an assistant for two years at St. Thomas University.

De Aguero then coached for four years at St. Brendan, including one as a head coach.

That led to De Aguero getting hired by MDC, where she has built a win-loss record of 258-244 entering 2023.

She led the Sharks to Southern Conference titles in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The Sharks have advanced to the state tournament every year during De Aguero’s tenure except for 2018 and 2019. (There was no tournament in the 2020 COVID year).

De Aguero has coached 88 players to on-field All-Conference honors.

Among the biggest MDC success stories: Melissa Mayeux, who is now playing pro softball; Milena Calixto, who pitched for UCF; and Raissa Bianco, who in 2022 won the Jean Williams Award, given to the top softball student-athlete at a Florida community college.

De Aguero, a long-time pillar of the Miami community, is married to Omar Rodriguez, and they have a daughter, Scarlett, who was born in 2014.