True grit

True grit

JMU softball captured the nation’s attention, winning new fans along the way

A reflection from President Jonathan R. Alger

On June 8, I had the chance to join hundreds of members of our JMU community as we greeted the JMU women’s softball team after their historic run to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I Women’s College World Series. With repeated wins on the road in Tennessee, Missouri and then Oklahoma against seeded teams from highly resourced “Power 5” conferences, the unseeded Dukes from the Shenandoah Valley captivated the heart of a nation with their spirit, courage and resilience. They logged thousands of miles of travel over an extended period, only to face two powerhouse teams from Oklahoma who had not had to venture more than an hour or so from their home campuses throughout the NCAA tournament. Those miles were an apt metaphor for the odds the Dukes overcame to reach the sport’s pinnacle.

This story was about much more than softball, however. What we saw during those magical few weeks was a group of determined young women who exemplified teamwork and the very best of humanity after a difficult year, at a time when we all needed signs of hope and inspiration. They were not the biggest, strongest or most highly recruited athletes at the O World Series. But they had something else altogether—true grit. They literally gave it all on the field, as exemplified by pitcher Odicci Alexander’s national highlight-reel diving tag at home plate to preserve a victory against Oklahoma State, and by 4-foot 11-inch infielder Lynsey Meeks’ dramatic throw on her knees for a crucial out at first base. The team played through significant injuries and the challenges brought forth by COVID simply to have a season at all.

I remind people that this kind of competition involves education both on and off the field.

The special moments were not just on national TV and on the ballfield, however. I had the privilege of watching in our hotel lobby in Oklahoma City as a small crowd of young girls and their families gathered to greet the team after one of their astounding World Series wins. Tired, not yet fed, and still in uniform, the players took that moment to pose for selfies and sign autographs while encouraging little girls to follow their dreams. It wasn’t just the little girls who were captivated, of course—I have heard from grown men and women all across the country who found inspiration and joy in watching this team show what it means to strive for your fullest potential when the stakes are high and the obstacles seem overwhelming.

As a university president, I’m often asked why our institutions invest in athletics. I remind people that this kind of competition involves education both on and off the field. The players develop crucial skills like teamwork, leadership, communications, problem-solving, time management, work ethic and emotional intelligence that prepare them for success in careers and in life. Indeed, these extraordinary student-athletes have distinguished themselves in the classroom and on the diamond. And at an institution where 60% of our students are women, this Women’s College World Series reminded us all that young women can, and must, be given the same opportunities and encouragement as men to compete at the highest level.

Going forward, my colleagues and I will continue to advocate for opportunities for gender equity in athletics and in all aspects of our educational mission. We owe it to those little girls in the hotel lobby, and the millions like them who are our daughters and granddaughters. And we just might be surprised by the source of that next spark of inspiration when we need it the most. Go Dukes!

Not your average Cinderella

By Kevin Warner (’02), assistant athletic director for communications

Over the course of a few weeks in the spring, the softball world— to say nothing of sports fans in general—discovered what we at James Madison already knew: This team was special. America fell in love with Odicci Alexander and a team playing with toughness, grit and talent above what the traditionalists in the sport think they should have.

Forgive us, but JMU fans and those of us who work behind the scenes for our student-athletes have come to expect this from our Dukes—not just in softball, but in every sport.

Fans love the “David vs. Goliath” storyline—the little school that punches up against the big dog. Pardon our purple-colored glasses, but this isn’t some little bulldog and not your typical David. These Dukes have been here before and—news flash —they expect to be here again. They knew it was a matter of when, not if, they would reach Oklahoma City.

JMU entered the Women’s College World Series at 39-2. The only record better belonged to its first-round opponent, No. 1 Oklahoma, at 50-2. The Dukes had a 28-game winning streak, longest in the nation, before dropping the middle game of their Super Regional. JMU also dominated the conference tournament to the tune of 32-0 in just 17 innings.

The JMU softball program hasn’t even existed for 20 years. The first season came in 2002, but the program seemed destined for greatness from its inception, given JMU’s picturesque campus, academic stature, history of success in women’s sports and ideal location in the Mid-Atlantic, surrounded by good softball talent. A new facility injected life in 2010, and when Mickey Dean took the helm in 2013, JMU immediately became a team to be taken seriously. Dean passed the torch to his assistant, Loren LaPorte, and the success has hit even greater heights.

• Beginning with Dean’s first year, the Dukes have been to nine consecutive NCAA tournaments (they had one before that).

• 383-88 record in 8.5 seasons (played just 19 games in COVID-shortened 2020).

• Three Super Regionals, one of just 13 squads to make three of the last five, with the others all hailing from the Power 5.

• First Women’s College World Series participant from outside the Power 5 since Louisiana in 2014 and first unseeded team since USF and LSU in 2012 (joined by “These Dukes Georgia this year).

Many great accomplishments have occurred for JMU softball in a short time, but great accomplishments are nothing new to JMU —news flash— Athletics. While JMU has established itself as one of the nation’s they expect to be here again.” best outside of the Power 5 in softball, the same could be said for the department as a whole.

In the COVID-impacted 2020-21 year alone, JMU won 68.2% of its games in all sports, with 10 of its 18 sports either winning a conference championship (7) or a regular-season title (3). Nine JMU coaches have been named CAA Coach of the Year in a single sports year.

And that’s just the last year. Overall JMU has won 65.6% of its games in all sports over the last six years. We’ve done the research; that puts the Dukes among the top 15 in the country over that stretch, a field composed of—you guessed it—all Power 5 programs.

When you look at JMU’s other accomplishments, this WCWS appearance is nothing new:

• Since 2004, two national championships in FCS football along with two runner-up and two semifinalist appearances

• A 2010 football win at Virginia Tech, the second ever by an FCS program against a ranked FBS squad—and a 1982 win at Virginia

• Before the term “Cinderella” even hit March Madness, there was JMU winning first-round men’s basketball games in three straight years (1981-83).

• JMU women’s basketball was the first in Women’s NCAA tournament history to hand the No. 1 seed a loss in its first game, winning on Penn State’s court in 1991. The Dukes have the third-most wins in NCAA women’s basketball history, trailing only Tennessee and Connecticut.

• Lacrosse won a national championship in 2018. It was the first time since 2004 that the champion was not Maryland, Northwestern or North Carolina.

• JMU baseball made the College World Series in 1983, the first team from Virginia to do so and the only one from the state until UVA made it in 2009. JMU is the only program in Virginia to reach both baseball and softball College World Series.

• Field hockey topped North Carolina in 1994 for a national championship.

• Men’s soccer has been one win away from the College Cup three times (1994, 1995, 2018).

• And ESPN has been no stranger to Harrisonburg with a show called College Game Day, a show typically reserved for the Power 5, visiting twice in 2015 and 2017.

Softball head coach Loren LaPorte, center, signed a contract extension that will keep her at the helm of the program through 2029.

Suffice it to say, those of us who work at JMU and all of JMU Nation behind us aren’t surprised by our achievements. We don’t have the resources of a Power 5 program, but what we have, we make the most of, and we love representing this institution.

So, there’s plenty of room on the JMU bandwagon. Join us for the ride, add more purple to your wardrobe and see what’s so special about James Madison University. Go Dukes!

TOP ARM

Alexander wins Softball America’s 2021 NCAA Pitcher of the Year

James Madison redshirt senior Odicci Alexander (’21) won Softball America’ s 2021 NCAA Pitcher of the Year.

Alexander helped the Dukes in their historic 2021 postseason run, throwing 94 strikeouts in 75.5 innings and finishing with a record of 8-3 in the circle during the run. She picked up wins over four top 10 teams, including 2021 NCAA national champion Oklahoma, and one top 25 team. She earned a spot on the Women’s College World Series AllTournament team for her outstanding efforts in the circle.

The Colonial Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year finished the 2021 season with a record of 18-3 in the circle with a 1.71 ERA, and 204 strikeouts in 143.2 IP. Alexander finished the season with 10 double-digit strikeout games.

She threw a career-high and program single-game record 19 strikeouts in the Dukes’ 10-inning victory over Liberty in the Knoxville Regional. Alexander recorded one perfect game at College of Charleston and one no-hitter against Delaware at the CAA Tournament.

In the batter’s box, she finished with 13 runs, 26 hits, 12 RBI and 17 walks.