Belton shortstop Molina commits to Texas Lutheran following senior year with Lady Tigers

July 31, 2025

By Clay Whittington

The Belton Journal

By committing, Iris Molina feels free. For almost her entire life, Belton standout shortstop has been determined to accomplish a singular goal — extending her career to the college level. Recently, she achieved the feat, making a verbal commitment to Texas Lutheran upon her graduation in the spring, and while Molina had time to consider other options before deciding, she did not want to sacrifice her senior season. “I still have a lot of time left in my high school career,” Molina said. “I cannot wait for the season to arrive. I’m going to feel so free out on the field. “The recruiting process was so overwhelming, and it felt like I had a big weight on my shoulders, but by committing now, all of that pressure has been lifted. I don’t have any distractions now, and I can just play.” If last year was any indication, she should be set for an impressive campaign. As a junior, Molina landed on the 16-5A AllDistrict Team as an honorable mention after helping the Lady Tigers place second in the league standings. For the season, Molina produced a .464 batting average highlighted by 28 singles, 19 RBIs, three doubles and three triples, and once she joins the Bulldogs, there will be a good chance she is contributing toward another winning program. Texas Lutheran is coming off a 44-5 campaign, advancing to the NCAA Division III Women’s College World Series for the fourth time. Additionally, the Bulldogs have won the Southern College Athletic Conference championship for the 11th consecutive season. Team success was not the only factor, though. “When I first met head coach Wade Wilson,” Molina said, “he reminded me so much of my dad, who is a stubborn, hard-headed man that pushes me to be my best every single day. That is exactly who Coach Wilson reminds me of. “It just felt like a family at TLU, and that is what I was really looking for in a school. I wanted it to be family based and not a place where everyone just went their separate ways.” Although her college debut is still more than a year away, Molina is already looking ahead as she both prepares for the next level and her finale at Belton. “I’m definitely already getting ready,” Molina said. “In college, everyone is bigger, faster and stronger, and I want to be able to compete. So, I’m really hitting the weight room. “I’m working on my hitting and fielding, and I’ve been playing on a great team outside of high school. That is helping me a lot, because there are Division I and Division II athletes, and they are amazing, so that is preparing me.”