University of Texas - El Paso Women's Softball

Bianca Marquez is currently in her sixth year as Director of Spirit Operations and her 11th year as Head Cheerleading Coach at UTEP. She previously served as Assistant Coach from 2005 to 2014.   The UTEP Cheer program plays an integral role in supporting athletic events, campus traditions, and community outreach throughout the year. The team is dedicated to promoting Miner pride and school spirit by energizing crowds and engaging fans at every opportunity. As ambassadors of the University, team members represent UTEP with professionalism and positivity at alumni functions, civic engagements, and charitable events, reflecting the core values of the institution.   Program highlights under Coach Marquez’s direction include the continued growth of the UTEP Cheer Championship and Summer Cheer Camp, both of which have reached record participation in recent years. In 2025, the 17th Annual UTEP Cheer Championship hosted 1,176 athletes from 82 teams, and the 36th Annual Summer Cheer Camp welcomed 741 campers. These events provide high-quality training and performance opportunities for teams across the region, reinforcing UTEP’s commitment to spirit development at all levels.   An El Paso native, Marquez is a proud UTEP alumna. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 2001 and a Master’s in Education in 2007. As a member of the UTEP cheer team from 1996 to 2001, she served as team captain and set the standard for excellence and leadership. Marquez is a five-year veteran of the National Cheerleaders Association and is USA Cheer certified.   Coach Marquez and her husband, Roman, are proud parents of two daughters.

T.J. Hubbard, the 2018 Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, was named the Miners' head softball coach on Dec. 11, 2019.  Hubbard comes to El Paso after serving as the head coach at Utah Valley University where he engineered a remarkable turnaround, taking over a team that tallied nine wins and guiding it to the no. 2 seed in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament within two years. 2021 was Hubbard's first full season at the helm of the UTEP program and he led his Miners to a 11-26 (5-15 C-USA) record and fifth-place finish in the Western Division with a team featuring 10 newcomers. Hubbard led the Miners to an upset victory over Texas Tech, 9-8, for the program's first win over a Power-5 foe since 2015 (3/20). UTEP's biggest conference victory came against second-place UAB, 7-4, in the series finale to keep the Miners in C-USA Tournament contention. Hubbard's first year at the helm of the program in 2020 saw a 5-17 (0-3 C-USA) finish before the season's abrupt end due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The year prior to his arrival (2016), Utah Valley posted an overall record of 9-43 and a 3-12 mark in WAC play.  In year one under Hubbard (2017), the Wolverines increased their victory total to 16 and came within a game of finishing .500 (7-8) in league play.  In year two under Hubbard’s direction (2018), Utah Valley notched 21 victories with a 10-4 WAC slate, and advanced to the postseason National Invitational Softball Championships.  During his three seasons (2017-19) in Orem, Utah, Hubbard coached student-athletes who earned a total of 10 All-WAC honors with a pair of NFCA All-Region accolades.  He also coached the back-to-back WAC Pitcher of the Year (Lauren Frailey Spendlove & Makayla Shadle) and Freshman of the Year (Caragh Morris & Payton Angulo) in 2017 and 2018 respectively.  Off the diamond, his student-athletes fashioned an average cumulative GPA of 3.37 with 15 All-WAC Academic honorees and 33 NFCA Academic All-Americans. Hubbard’s Utah Valley teams combined for a 24-23 mark in WAC play.  The previous three Utah Valley teams went 11-33 in the league altogether. The native Oklahoman was the head coach at North Texas from 2008-13, finishing his tenure as the winningest coach in program history.  He racked up 161 wins in six seasons, with four campaigns of 27 victories or more and a school-record 29 wins in both 2010 and 2013.  The Mean Green defeated seven nationally ranked opponents during that time and achieved four top-100 RPI finishes -- 2010 (no. 57), 2011 (no. 92), 2012 (no. 84) and 2013 (no. 74).  Hubbard coached 19 All-Sun Belt Conference players and nine Sun Belt All-Tournament players during his time in Denton.  He also coached the only two softball players (Susan Waters & Mallory Cantler) in the North Texas Hall of Fame.  In the classroom, his teams compiled an average GPA of 3.19, and 97 of his student-athletes earned a spot on the Sun Belt Academic Honor Roll. In-between his separate head coaching stints, Hubbard was the Associate Head Coach at Louisiana (2013-15) and Assistant Coach at Kansas (2015-16).  While at Louisiana, he helped the Ragin’ Cajuns to the 2014 Women’s College World Series and the 2015 Super Regionals with back-to-back Sun Belt Conference titles and 91 wins.  The high-powered Ragin’ Cajun offense ranked first nationally in home runs per game (2.15) and second in scoring (8.15 runs per game) and slugging percentage (.652) in 2015.  Louisiana boasted 15 All-Sun Belt players during Hubbard’s two years in the dugout, including the two-time Sun Belt Player of the Year and four NFCA All-Americans.  Hubbard’s duties at Louisiana included directing the pitch calling and mentoring 2014 Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year and All-American Christina Hamilton.  His year at Kansas resulted in a winning season (31-20) and a fourth-place finish in the Big XII Conference.        Hubbard has registered 213 victories in nine seasons as a head coach. Hubbard got his start in coaching as an assistant at Seminole State College from 2002-03, where his efforts helped produce a third-place showing at the NJCAA National Championship, and a 64-16 record. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Non-Clinical Exercise Science/Sports Management from Oklahoma Wesleyan in May, 2002.  He was a three-year letterwinner for the OWU baseball team as a second baseman. Hubbard and his wife, Kara, have three daughters – Sophia (16), Audrey (12) and Emma (nine).

Former Miner Zaylie Calderon joined the UTEP staff as Director of Softball Operations in August of 2024. In her final season with UTEP (2023), Calderon made 28 appearances in the circle. She led the pitching staff with a 3.04 ERA, seven saves, and held opponents to a .243 batting average. Her seven saves in a single season set a program record, leading Conference USA and ranking eighth in the nation. Calderon recorded 37 strikeouts in 48.1 innings pitched during her final season and became the program's all-time leader in career saves (11). She also ranks third in career appearances (115) and fifth in career strikeouts (220). In addition to her on-field achievements, Calderon was a consistent high performer academically. She was named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll and earned the Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Medal every year from 2020 to 2024. Her dedication to her studies was further recognized with multiple honors, including being named an Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete from 2021-24 and receiving the prestigious College Sports Communicators Academic All-District accolade in 2024. Calderon was also the recipient of the Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship in 2024.

Jerahmie Libke joined the UTEP softball staff as a volunteer assistant coach beginning in February 2026, bringing extensive experience across the collegiate, high school, and professional levels in both baseball and softball. Libke owns seven years of collegiate coaching experience, including time at Western Nevada College (2008–12) and at the Division I level with the UNLV Rebels from 2012–14. During that span, he also coached in the Nevada Bullets Summer League (2010), helping develop student-athletes for the next level of competition. In addition to his college background, Libke has spent more than 10 years coaching at the high school and select club levels. His experience includes Southern Nevada Baseball Youth (2014–17), Libke Pro Baseball Youth (2017–20), Basic Academy High School (2020–22), and Bishop Gorman High School (2023).  Libke has also worked independently with more than 40 professional Major League Baseball players and National Team softball athletes. He currently serves as a professional consultant in baseball and softball, providing advanced training and development strategies. He is the owner and creator of Libke Pro, a global training brand whose products are used worldwide, including by all 32 Major League Baseball organizations and 14 national softball teams. Through his work, Libke has built a reputation for innovative training methods and high-level athlete development.

Caesar Cubillos has been a lifelong fan of UTEP and has been attending Miner football and basketball games for as far back as he can remember.  He came from a "UTEP family" -- his uncle/godfather was formerly employed in promotions at UTEP for decades, his aunt and uncle both graduated from UTEP (bachelors and masters), and his sister and over 10 cousins all attended UTEP.  He was a member of the UTEP cheerleading squad from 1994-2000, and during that time he graduated with bachelors degrees in communications (1996) and advertising (2000).  As a member of the UTEP cheerleading squad, he was a collegiate All-American in 1998 and competed on the first four UTEP nationals teams, as well as three times in the national partner stunt competition (he placed sixth at nationals in 1999).  He was a member of the NCA staff from 1998-2003, NCA college staff from 2000-02 and was staff head instructor from 2001-2003.  During that time he had the opportunity to teach teams from four different countries and work camps from as far west as San Diego and as far east as Baltimore.  He has been a multiple-time national champion all-star coach, in addition to competing at all-star nationals in 2001 and 2004.  He was picked as Top Veteran Instructor in 2000 in addition to being selected by corporate as Most Dedicated Instructor that same year.  At UTEP, he was voted Most Spirited in 1996 and Best Stunter in 1997. He's now entering his eighth year at UTEP, and being back with the team fulfills one of his dreams as he gets to teach everything he's learned to an endless stream of new brothers and sisters of UTEP cheer.  He was part of the coaching staff for the team that performed at the 2021 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City.  Bianca Marquez, now his head coach, was his partner when he cheered at UTEP and he loves the strong team they're continuing to build at their beloved alma mater.  He married his wife, Tina, in 2005 and they have three children (Brandon 29, Nicholas 16 and Micaela 11).

Cesar Romero was hired as assistant coach for the UTEP Softball program in January of 2025.  Romero brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success at multiple levels of the game, including collegiate, high school, and professional baseball and softball. Romero joins the Miners after leading the Frank Phillips College Lady Plainsmen softball program as head coach for the past two seasons. During his tenure, Romero revitalized the program, achieving back-to-back 20-win seasons—a feat not accomplished in over a decade—and guiding the team to consecutive playoff appearances. His leadership culminated in a third-place finish in the Region 5 WJCAC Tournament. Prior to his head coaching role, Romero served as the Lady Plainsmen's assistant coach, where he spearheaded the team's offensive strategies, producing some of the best offensive stats in program history and securing their first-ever conference victories. Romero's impact extended beyond the field, as he helped numerous student-athletes continue their athletic careers at the university level.  In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Romero has served as head coach at Cathedral High School and led the El Paso Community College baseball program, where his teams consistently maintained GPAs of 3.0 or higher. As a player, Romero's collegiate career began at Dodge City Community College, where he excelled as a pitcher, throwing a no-hitter and earning All-Jayhawk Conference honors. He later contributed to Fort Hays State University's RMAC Conference championship team. Romero's professional career included stints in both the U.S. and Mexico, highlighted by a championship with the Dorados de Chihuahua and four seasons in the Mexican League with the Tecolotes De Los Dos Laredos. He was also invited to play for the Mexican National Fastpitch Softball team.  A proud Socorro, Texas, native and Socorro High School alumnus, Romero earned an associate degree from El Paso Community College and a bachelor's degree from Sul Ross State University. He and his wife Sandra have three daughters: Andrea, Alyssa, and Adrienne. The Romero family is excited to return to the 915 community.

Coach Crystal Ortiz is an El Paso native who started dancing at the age of eight.  She grew up dancing, competing, and traveling all over the USA.  She traveled to many pro dance camps, where she trained with NBA and NFL choreographers.  Networking at these camps, she was chosen as a dancer for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve Party.  She was also an El Paso Patriot Cheerleader for five years, serving as captain and choreographer.  Coach Ortiz has also choreographed many big events including Sun Bowl halftime shows, Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Game halftime, ELP Senior All-Star Games, and UTEP Spirit Nights. She graduated from Silva Magnet High School in 2001 and wanted to further her education at UTEP.  While a Miner, she joined the UTEP Golddiggers dance team from 2002-05.  Coach Ortiz received her BFA in Dance Performance from UTEP with a minor in Secondary Education in 2009.  After receiving her degree, she became the Parkland High School dance coach for 15 years.  Ortiz came home to UTEP in August of 2025 as the dance team head coach. She grew up attending UTEP football and basketball games with her family, as her parents were long time season ticket holders.  There is a brick with her parents' names located in the North end of the Sun Bowl, as they donated to help the construction of the new additions to the stadium. Coach Ortiz and her husband, Angel, are proud parents to their two kids, Trinity and Orion.  They are both UTEP alumni and have been thrilled to share their UTEP pride with their kids. She feels blessed and honored to be back home at UTEP and is ready to cultivate spirit and pride on the UTEP campus and around the El Paso community.