Jun. 28—For Alyssa Rose, the dream was always about playing Division I college softball.
After a year playing at Cleveland State, though, the 2018 Madison graduate realized that some things are more important than dreams.
They can also be a lot better.
Rose just completed her first season at Division III Mount Union.
The decision to transfer from a Division I program to a smaller one was one that may have gone against the wishes of her heart, but not against what she knew to be best for her.
“Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of playing Division I,” said Rose, who had junior eligbility in the 2021 season.
But, Rose began to realize following dreams is not always the best thing.
“I just kind of felt I wasn’t putting softball ahead of school as much as I should have been,” Rose said of her time at CSU. “I just decided that I was going to play at a lower level, but still be able to enjoy the sport just as much.”
Mount Union turned out to be the perfect place for her.
Division III athletics do not have all of the rigorous demands that accompany the Division I level. Fewer games and less travel gave Rose more time to focus on the things that matter most about college — namely academics.
“It’s not like I was going to go pro playing softball,” she said.
She wasn’t, but instead knew that a degree in sociology would take her on a successful career path. A little less time on the diamond would provide her a little more time in the books.
“During the fall, you do not have as much softball as probably Division I teams or even Division II teams,” Rose said of life at the Division III level. “In the fall, you get a good feel for how to study for tests and things like that. Then, in the spring, it’s a lot of games for sure, but you get used to that and you know yourself and know how to manage time and get what’s needed to be done.”
Rose understands the importance of getting things done in the classroom, but that does not mean she forgot to get things done on the diamond as well.
At CSU, Rose said she did ‘probably as well as any freshman, but at Mount Union, she showed everyone what Division I talent looks like.
This past season, Rose made 15 appearances on the mound for the Purple Raiders, including 11 starts. She compiled a record of 10-2 with two saves and an ERA of 2.61 while averaging nearly seven strikeouts a game.
At the plate, Rose hit 345 with a home run and 16 runs batted in 30 games.
She also swiped four bases and scored 18 runs.
The experience of playing a year at CSU was something Rose said certainly helped her this past season.
“I think it definitely gave me the confidence to push myself to be better and understand myself and how capable I am with pitching or hitting or fielding,” she said.
Her stats were good enough to land her on the All-Ohio Athletic Conference first team, one of five Mount Union players to make the list.
Rose was also selected second-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Central Region.
More importantly to Rose, though, was what her team accomplished.
The Purple Raiders captured the OAC crown by going 32-7 overall (29-5 in conference play).
It was just the second conference championship in school history and the first one since 1998.
The 32 wins were the second-most in school history. They were also ranked nationally as high as 16th.
“Winning the OAC was super exciting, that was one of the goals we made at the beginning of the year,” Rose said.
Rose has two years of eligibility remaining. The NCAA allowed all student-athletes another year after COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 season.
Playing at Mount Union may not have been what she dreamed about … or, then again, maybe it was, because she’s extremely happy with the decision she made.
“I knew wherever I played softball I was going to enjoy it,” Rose said. “And, I absolutely love Mount Union. The girls on this team are so close and I think what makes us so good. I’m just thankful to be playing college softball.”