Spotlight on Roosevelt Softball
Mid-season update on the Roosevelt University Softball Team. Published in the Roosevelt University Torch newspaper on April 29, 2024.
Two months.
That’s how long it took for the Roosevelt Lakers Softball Team to shift from a team with a 3-12 record, which started on Feb. 9, to the number one team in the conference – just two months.
The Lakers’ sweep against Judson on Apr. 13 moved them up in the ranks, as the Lakers slipped to the top spot with a striking 75%-win percentage in conference play.
Anaisa Lozada, a veteran and senior shortstop from Streamwood, Illinois, emphasized the importance of mentality after enduring the tough stretch of games at the beginning of the season.
“It’s definitely our mindset,” she said. “That means not letting up, and not giving up in the times when it’s the hardest... It’s never a perfect game, but just being able to fight that and get through it is the one thing we have to learn.”
Other members of the team mentioned team chemistry as a vital aspect of the Lakers’ success going forward.
“We’re trying to find ourselves,” said Athena Pomele-Pen, a junior third baseman from San Jose, California. “There’s new players on the team, so we’re trying to find that connection with everybody, that culture… so that when we go on the field, we have each other’s back.”
The Lakers have 20 players on the roster for the 2023-2024 season, five of which are new to the team this year. As the Lakers have progressed throughout the season, they’ve honed in on their strengths and worked on their weaknesses.
“Defense is our strong suit,” said Pomele-Pen. "That’s really what’s holding us right now, when we beat these teams—our defense.”
“We are a hitting team too… when we’re hitting, we’re hitting,” added Lozada. “But our defense is always locked in.”
Ahead of their games against Saint Xavier on Apr. 18, several of the athletes mentioned their narrowed focus and heightened motivation.
“We have yet to beat Saint X since I’ve been here,” said Lozada, who has been a Laker since 2021.
The last recorded victory over the Saint Xavier was seven years ago on Mar. 28, 2017, when the Lakers scraped by the Cougars 1-0, before losing 4-0 in the second game of the doubleheader.
“We’ve had some good games against them,” Lozada said. “They don’t completely shut us out, so, it’s about ... coming through and believing we can beat them.”
The Lakers are no strangers to breaking opposing teams’ win streaks. A 7-2 victory against Olivet Nazarene University on Apr. 9 marked the Lakers’ first time beating the Tigers in eight years. In the second game of the doubleheader, the Lakers only came short of victory over the Tigers by one point.
“We always seem to freak ourselves out before we play them,” said Pomele-Pen. “When we go into that game, we just have to be confident and play like we’ve played these other teams.”
The Lakers secured a hard-fought victory over Saint Xavier in the first game of the doubleheader, marking their first win in seven years against the Cougars. They secured the win 2-1 after a clutch play in the last inning. The Lakers fell in the second game 4-12 after just five innings.
Pomele-Pen reflected on the team morale following the games against Saint Xavier.
“The first win felt so good because we haven’t won against them in a long time,” she said. “Beating them gave us a confidence boost going into our games against Indiana South Bend.”
The Lakers swept the Indiana University South Bend Titans in a two-game series on Apr. 19, winning 5-2 and 11-7 respectively.