AUBURN, Ala. – When Auburn softball coach Mickey Dean called Ruby Rojas last summer, he asked her two questions.
"Do you have any plans to go D-I?"
Rojas, who coached a championship program at Mt. San Antonio College in Southern California, said she did on two conditions: it had to be right program and the right time.
"How about now?" Dean wondered.
Rojas conferred with her husband, who offered this counsel: "You've got to do it."
"That's why I felt, when the opportunity came, I had to take advantage of it," said Rojas, one of two first-year assistant coaches on Dean's Auburn staff, along with Eugene Lenti.
An All-ACC infielder at Virginia, Rojas played for Dean on the Venezuelan national team from 2002-08.
"Mickey's been one of my mentors," she said. "I've known him for a very long time. I have a lot of history with him."
Born in Venezuela, Rojas moved with her family to California as a young girl. Other than those four years at Virginia, Southern California has been her home.
Moving to Auburn has reminded Rojas of her playing days at Virginia.
"It's been so cool, because it's such a small town," she said. "The school is the center of attention, and that's what I've always loved. That's one of the reasons I went to Virginia, the same type of environment. A big school in a small town."
Rojas works primarily with Auburn's infield defense, along with helping with hitting and the mental side of softball.
"I love to build trust and relationships with the student-athletes," she said. "Very firm but fair. Very hands-on. That's how I've been in California and have had a lot of success. I'm just being me. When we are our authentic self, that's the way to be."
With nearly twice as many freshmen as seniors on the 2020 Tigers, Rojas, who taught kinesiology for 15 years while coaching in California, relishes the opportunity to teach.
"I think there are going to be a lot of positives," she said. "We're on our way up. A lot of freshmen who are going to impact. There's a good combination. There's good leadership."
To recruit the next class of Tigers, Rojas plans to return to her West Coast roots.
"I'm going to bombard the South with California girls as much as I can," she said. "I'm going to try to pick the very best from Southern California. I have a lot of connections, a lot of ties there."
Her recruiting pitch?
"It's the SEC. It's a fantastic school. It's a small town. It's safe. You are the center of attention," she said. "You really get that college feel. People here are so nice, it's very welcoming. I'm here for a reason."
With a desire to pass along her softball knowledge while attracting elite players to her new home, Ruby Rojas embarks on her first season at Auburn on Friday vs. Baylor and Notre Dame in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida.
"I'm very grateful, very blessed to be here. I love what I do," she said. "This does not feel like a job. This is a dream."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer