- Alex Ibarra will be in the Chicago Bandits bullpen for tonight’s AUSL Play-In Game
- The Cedar Hill, Texas, native helped guide USA Softball to a gold medal finish at 2025 World Games in China
- The LSU graduate served as pitching coach for the Appalachian State Mountaineers for past two seasons
COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M softball head coach Trisha Ford announced the addition of USA Softball and Chicago Bandits assistant Alex Ibarra to the Aggies’ coaching staff on Thursday.
Ibarra, regarded as one of the nation’s top young pitching coaches, has supported USA Softball at national and international events since 2021, including the WBSC Championships, Canada Cup, World Games and Pan American Games. He helped guide Team USA to the gold medal with a 5-0 record at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China.
“Alex Ibarra is one of the brightest young minds in our game,” Ford said. “He combines elite pitching knowledge with an outstanding ability to connect with student-athletes. His energy, work ethic and passion for player development make him an outstanding addition to Texas A&M. He has been a part of the men’s USA softball side, and helped with the women’s National team and the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. I am excited he’s joining our staff and can’t wait for him to get in the bullpen.”
“I am honored to join Coach Ford’s staff and become part of a program with such a proud tradition and bright future,” Ibarra said. “I want to thank Coach Ford for the opportunity and trust she has placed in me. The passion, commitment and culture surrounding this program are truly special, and I am excited to work with our student-athletes every day as we pursue championships and continue building something great. I’m glad to be coming home!”
Additionally, he served as the pitching coach at Appalachian State for the past two collegiate seasons where he helped develop five All-Sun Belt honorees, including the program’s first all-conference pitcher in over five years.
He has been involved with Athletes Unlimited’s professional women’s softball league since 2021 and currently serves as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bandits, which faces the Portland Cascade in the AUSL Play-in Game at Texas A&M’s Davis Diamond. In 2025, he helped lead the Utah Talons to the AUSL Championship in the league’s inaugural season.
A 2024 graduate of LSU, Ibarra served as a student manager for the Tiger softball team from 2020-24, where he assisted with the day-to-day operations of the program. As a member of the Tigers' staff, he was a part of 155 wins, four NCAA Regional appearances and two Super Regional appearances in 2021 and 2024.
Acting as the primary batting practice thrower at LSU, Ibarra was instrumental in preparing the Tiger hitters prior to each game and helped lead them to a .290 team batting average. LSU also swatted 464 hits in 2024, which was the third-highest total in the SEC.
A native of Cedar Hill, Texas, Ibarra started his coaching career at UT Arlington, where he acted as a student manager for the Mavericks in 2019. In his lone season, Ibarra saw UTA win 36 games and take home a National Softball Invitational Championship.
Ibarra is also an accomplished player, having been selected as a pitcher for the Under-23 USA Men's National Team and competing for the 2018 Junior Men's National Team in the WBSC Junior Men's World Championship that was held in Prince Albert, Canada. As part of the United States National Softball team, he has won two gold medals, including in 2023 at the Pan-American Games.