Senior Trio Writes Final Softball Chapter
Last home series gives three Ram seniors an on-field sendoff
COVID-19 left a lot of loose ends behind.
During the 2020 season, the CSU softball team hadn’t even had its home opener before being sent home.
At the time, four seniors were left with their final season taken away. Now, three students remain at the graduate level to finish what they started.
“They just love the game and they love CSU, they love their teammates and their coaches, and I just think they had this pit in their stomach about the way their careers ended,” coach Jen Fisher said. “I think they wanted to have a much better feeling about how their careers would end. They wanted to come back and they had some unfinished business, and they’ve really tried to enjoy every moment and enjoy their teammates. It’s been a really great year for them.”
Corina Gamboa, Haley Donaldson, and Jessica Jarecki all made the decision to return for their final year of eligibility, while Ashley Ruiz called it a career.
Saturday and Sunday marks the final home stand for the trio as San Diego State visits Ram Field for a doubleheader Saturday, a solo game Sunday. During the veteran players’ run, the CSU softball program experienced some roaring successes. In 2018, the roster finished their overall season 27-23, performing 11-7 at home.
The following year, the team took the 2019 Mountain West championship before advancing to postseason play, marking one of three teams to advance to NCAA regionals at CSU.
“I think the Mountain West championship was my favorite memory just because it’s satisfying to see all our hard work pay off,” Gamboa said. “It’s been a while since we’ve taken the Mountain West championship, so it was a huge accomplishment. And I think just being able to come back, it was sad and heartbreaking to get our final season taken away so early, but it’s such a blessing to be able to come back. Just making my way back here is another memory I will cherish.”
Despite returning in hopes for a normal season, the program has suffered 14 missed games and the aftermath of COVID-19 is still heavily weighing on the amount of time the team can spend on the field. Colorado State is 6-9 in conference and 12-18 overall, largely due to the canceled games.
But the returning players are just happy that they get to experience the game one last time.
“I think it’s been so awesome,” pitcher Jessica Jarecki said. “It was a tough decision, for me at least, to decide to come back because I want to go to nursing school. It’s been so fulfilling and awesome and I’m really glad I get to play with Donny and Corina again; it’s a bummer Ashley Ruiz isn’t here, but it’s just been awesome.”
I’ve definitely learned how to believe in myself and my overall character and my approach to certain situations or just life, this program and being at CSU has just shaped me into that. I feel unstoppable, I can do anything.Jessica Jarecki
Not all of the players started as a Ram. Gamboa is a five-year player for the Rams and her stay has been half of Fisher’s coaching career at CSU. Both Donaldson and Jarecki were transfers, serving four and three years, respectively.
After this group graduates from the program and moves on to more schooling, their legacy will live on in the younger players on the roster. Fisher says their consistency and friendship are characteristics which have already been adopted by the players who follow them.
“They have made such a huge impact on our team culture,” Fisher said. “All three of them, each of them as an individual lead in their own way, but that 2019 conference championship was huge, and they were such a big part of that. They have left a legacy of ‘we can compete at this level; we can compete at the top of the conference’ and I think they brought a lot of real positive light to our program.
“On top of that, the culture of our team is really about unselfishness and caring about the team, being comfortable, working hard day in and day out, accountability, and they all have been fabulous students. They do it all; it’s amazing to me how they can manage all of their schoolwork and still be great athletes and work hard on the field. I think the culture that is in place, they’ve just been such a huge part of that.”
Fisher will not only miss their discipline on the field, but also how driven they are as individuals and the family-like nature between the trio.
After finishing up this semester, Jarecki and Gamboa are both planning on pursing degrees in nursing. Gamboa will be moving back to her home state of California and Jarecki has been applying to several nursing programs in Colorado and is hoping to secure a spot in Denver.
As an undergraduate, Donaldson studied Human Development and Family Studies, and hoped to also pursue a degree in nursing.
“I feel like I’m walking away very resilient,” Jarecki said. “I can overcome any challenge and never give up and to just always find the good in things. Trust the process of everything that I do and trust myself. I’ve definitely learned how to believe in myself and my overall character and my approach to certain situations or just life, this program and being at CSU has just shaped me into that. I feel unstoppable, I can do anything.”