In the Summer of 2019, Emily Rosas returned home from her freshman year at the University of North Dakota not knowing if she wanted to continue playing softball. After so many years of playing the game that she loved, she was finally starting to feel burned out and in need of a change.
With her sophomore year of college looming around the corner, Rosas contemplated her next move until she met with the Santa Ana College Softball coaching staff. Although she always wanted to play at the NCAA Division I level she ultimately decided that SAC was the place she needed to be.
“At first I thought community college was too low of a level for me to play at but then I met with our coaches,” said Rosas. “After a couple hours of being on campus, I knew this was the right place for me.”
Rosas made an immediate impact on the Santa Ana College Softball program and led them to a 13-7 overall record before their season was cut short due to Covid-19 in the Spring of 2020.
Following the shortened season, Rosas was recruited by many schools and decided to take on offer from California Baptist University. But in the middle of the Fall semester she began to miss her teammates and her life at SAC. With her eligibility still intact, Rosas made the decision to return to Santa Ana in the Spring of 2021.
Over the next two years Rosas made SAC her home and led the Dons to 57 total wins, an Orange Empire Conference (OEC) Championship and an appearance in the 2022 State Championships. Rosas pitched her way to a 37-8 record with a 1.03 ERA in 291.1 innings pitched in 2022 and collected several awards including OEC MVP, Pitcher of the Year and All-American status. She also broke the school record for most strikeouts in a single season with 316.
But even with all of her success on the field, Rosas insists that her favorite part of her time at Santa Ana College was making connections.
“I met lifelong friends here and that means so much to me,” said Rosas. “The relationships that I have with my teammates and coaches are something I truly believe I’ll have forever.”
Rosas is now set to transfer after graduating from SAC in 2022 with her associates degree in liberal arts and looks forward to a career in cosmetology which she has already begun to take classes for. As for softball, Rosas is still undecided on where she wants to play but is sure to be a great asset to any program.
