After a 2023 season that saw 101 innings of work across 29 appearances (including five complete games), Jordan Arce, junior environmental studies major and pitching ace, was one of the leading pitchers in Trinity’s record-setting 2024 campaign. Sitting down for the second Locker Room segment of the season, Arce talked about her development from her time at Trinity, how faith has helped on the field and her excitement for the upcoming season.
You had a fantastic first year, which then led to a dominant sophomore year. What was it like having back-to-back seasons that were so good to start your career?
“[From] my eyes, my freshman year was more of a learning curve, and sophomore year was focused on honing my skills and working to my strengths. I’m excited for this year too, because I know that there’s going to be way more progress than last year. … It gave me a chance to feel like I was playing for the love of softball again. It was all about being with my team and winning together.”
One of the big things that people talk about with pitching is that it can sometimes be a big mental game as well as a physical one. How do you keep yourself in the headspace whenever you’re in the circle?
“I just give it to God. I know I can’t control this, and I have my faith in God. I know that He’s put all these teammates behind me who really, genuinely want to win. And so as long as I do my part and contribute as much as I personally can every day, they’re going to be there to support me. It’s a mix of not putting too much pressure on myself and just trusting that it’ll work out how it’s supposed to as long as I bring my personal best every day. And that might not look like striking everybody out. It might just be me pitching an inning and then having to give it to another pitcher for the rest of the game.”
Last season was the first one under Coach Wittenauer, and your first year was with Coach [Abby] Martin. What was the biggest shift, from your point of view, between the two different coaches?
“I would just say it was a culture shift. We all had this one unified goal of, ‘We’re gonna win the conference championship and go to playoffs,’ and even though we didn’t accomplish that, we accomplished a good amount of things that our program really needed to rebuild. And so I think Coach Witt empowered us to be who we are as players and pursue what we want as a team.”
What was the deciding factor for you to go from Thousand Oaks, California, all the way out to a small D3 school in San Antonio?
“I think it was just how much faith the coaches had in me that I would help lead this program to something better than what it was. That just pushed me to be like, ‘You know what, I can be that person for this team.’ It was just God’s plan.”
You’re from California, and the softball team in particular is pretty unique with so many players from out of state. How does it feel to have so many people on the team from the same area, even though you’re far from home?
“I mean, I love it. We get to blend cultures, and it’s not just California. There’s also Washington, Nevada, Colorado; it’s just a cool thing to see, and I feel at home. If I had stayed somewhere closer to home, I would have been stuck in the same bubble.”
Whenever I see the softball team on campus or in the library, it feels like you’re always close and having a great time with each other. What’s the team atmosphere like?
“Yeah, our team is just so close, and I think a lot of other college teams don’t get that opportunity. We spend a lot of time together, whether it’s studying, practicing, just going to the store or hanging out. Our team genuinely does life together, which I think is cool.”
What’s something that you’re excited about?
“I’m excited for the season to start. I know last year was great, but this year, we’re hopefully going to make playoffs and leave the SCAC with a bang.”
What’s something that you would like to say to the readers?
“Come out to a softball game this year. People should come to watch us because it’s fun and entertaining. I wish I could offer a bribe, but I don’t think I can.”
What would the bribe be?
“I promise you a high five. I’ll give you a high five and share a conversation with you if you come to the game. But seriously, I would just advertise people to show up to softball games this year because we’ll hopefully be winning.”
