Maleah Andrews put together a stellar freshman season for the Vikings’ softball team in 2024.
She started in all 64 of the Vikings’ games, batted .354/.456/.593 with 18 doubles and 34 RBIs and belted a walk-off eighth-inning home run to defeat California State University Dominguez Hills, sending the team to the NCAA DII Softball World Series.
Midway into fall 2024, Andrews fielded a ground ball backhand, hyperextending her knee to the point that she suffered a sprained lateral collateral ligament, a bruised kneecap, a strained hamstring and calf.
In an interview with The Front, Andrews discussed her introduction to softball, her college career and the lessons she has learned from playing the game.
Q: What is your earliest memory involving softball?
A: I’d like to say it was my first Little League team that I was on. You have a bunch of kids that come together and play softball, and I remember my mom being one of the coaches. I remember being part of the team, always in red jerseys, figuring out how to swing a bat until we could hit it far enough.
Q: How have your parents played a role in supporting you in your career so far?
A: My parents are absolutely amazing, I definitely wouldn’t be here without them. My mom played softball here at Western a long time ago, my dad played baseball in high school and they met playing softball.
They know how I am as a player and as a person, so they can support me but also push me to be my best. My mom coached me for a long time, so having her with me along the way was great.
Knowing that they have my back… having that inner circle that I can rely on is always great.
Q: What was the recruiting process like for you?
A: I will forever say that that’s my least favorite part. It really comes down to the relationship you build with the coach as well, because they help guide you a lot while you’re in college. I realized, talking to coach Gilmore, she really wants me here, she really wants to work with me and likes me as a person.
Q: You talk about feeling wanted, feeling like a part of something, and then in your first season at Western you’re part of a magical season. How rewarding was that?
A: It’s absolutely great. Winning is always a great feeling in the first place, but to have our team do so well all year long, to know that we were getting better as we went on and figuring each other out with how many new people we had – that was the most important thing.
We really enjoyed playing together and winning was just a bonus. To get that far was a great experience for all of us.
Q: You hit the home run to clinch the West Region title. How did that feel?
A: It’s a blur now, not gonna lie. At that moment I wanted to make sure I got on base for my teammates for them to move me over and score. I wasn’t expecting to hit a home run. I had enough confidence that I could do something productive and make something happen.
For it to go over [the fence] was just an extra bonus for all of us to end it on that big of a statement.
Q: What lessons can you take away from your injury and the recovery process?
A: For this one to be so severe, the lesson that I’ve taken away is that I have to take it one step at a time. I need to make sure that I’m not pushing it too far. It’s important to listen to my body and make sure to take things one at a time, otherwise, it could be worse off in the long run.
Q: How can you apply those lessons and other things you’ve learned from softball to life outside the sport?
A: The way you interact, the way you are as a person, softball does not define you. My injury doesn’t define me. Having my own personality and being my own person outside of softball is something I really hold onto.
I’ve made a lot of friends outside softball that I’m grateful for because that’s what keeps me grounded in having a life outside softball. There’s multiple aspects to life that I still want to explore and get to know, so that’s something I want to take with me.
Sam Whitney (he/him) is a Sports and Recreation reporter for The Front this quarter. He is studying journalism with a public relations focus with hopes of one day working for a professional baseball team. In his free time, he likes to read about history and play pool with his friends. You can reach him at samwhitney.thefront@gmail.com
