MUNCIE, Ind. — Alyssa Rothwell’s playing career with Ball State softball ended this year, and with it came the conclusion of one of the most prolific careers in BSU and NCAA history.
Rothwell didn’t just help guide her team to a second-place finish in the Mid-American Conference, but in the final series of the season set the NCAA Division I record for career saves with 33. She took advantage of, as teammates of hers did, the extended eligibility provided by the NCAA after the pandemic affected spring sports’ seasons in 2020. And while she would have liked to have left with a MAC title, she’ll relish how she and others were able to end their careers on a positive note — hers, specifically, with a strikeout that helped BSU’s season end 37-18 overall and 31-8 in the MAC.