By Alexis Blue

The damp, warm breeze rustles the grass while cleats grip the dirt, the seams becoming saturated in an orange-red color. Cheering rings in the air, smelling faintly of sweet, sweet victory – the victory of the Jacks. 

Humboldt’s softball team hit the road, axe in hand, to the Aloha State two weekends ago, turning up the heat in Honolulu from Feb. 2 to Feb. 9 and clinching six of eight games on their trip. With two canceled matches against Simpson and Southern Oregon University, the Jacks instead had the opportunity to dive into their season from the islands, competing against two Midwestern teams and local teams. 

The first battle on the road was a Midwest vs. Northern California matchup, first facing Lewis University and then Ferris State on Feb. 4. The Jacks walked away from their first double-header with two wins, including a resounding 10-0 victory over No. 22 Lewis University, according to the NCAA Division II Top 25 poll. This season opener was one for the books, being Humboldt’s first season-opening win since 2019. 

Head coach Megan Corriea reflected on the success they collected in their opening matches.

“I’m incredibly proud of the effort and determination shown today from this team,” Corriea said in a statement to Drew Gwerder, Humboldt Athletics. “We faced some tough competition, but our teamwork and resilience carried us through.” 

More wins trailed the Jacks as they secured wins from each opponent they faced, including Hawai’i Pacific University, Chaminade University and the University of Hawai’i at Hilo. These local teams gave the Jacks a good battle, a testament to their hard work and preparation for the season. Katlyn Gifford, junior first baseman majoring in criminology and justice studies, shared her thoughts on the team’s mindset going into their games.

“We were really excited [to get] an opportunity to play in Hawaii, and we knew that we were going to play some pretty good competition,” Gifford said. “We were all really excited for what our team had put together throughout the fall.”

Gifford attested to the confidence radiating and reflecting off one another on the field and the team’s composure on the pitch. Julia Rivera, catcher and senior majoring in criminology and justice studies, reflected on their aggressive approach in the games that led to their success.

“We were ready to rock,” Rivera said. “We came out, bats firing. We almost scored in the first inning of every game. I can say for the seniors, we were ready to have a good kick start to the year, and we definitely had that.”

For the Jacks, the fun extended beyond the field. Rivera experienced some memorable moments with her teammates at a lūʻau, notably when they were gifted with leis and traded pins from other teams in attendance.

“I think that was just fun to be able to take photos with your teammates and soak it all in, and the sun was setting,” Rivera said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for sure.”

The Humboldt softball team’s success stretched from Hawai’i to Turlock, CA, this past weekend as the Jacks competed in the 2025 Tournament of Champions. They walked away from the weekend on top once again with three more wins, defeating Academy of Art University, Menlo College and the No. 24 ranked team, Northwest Nazarene University. 

Going into the rest of their season with a 9-4 overall record, the Jacks are feeling the wind under their wings with some big wins under their belt. The Jacks will take the pitch again at Humboldt Softball Field on Friday, Feb. 21, for their CCAA opener versus San Francisco State. Warning — bats are blazing!

“We know what we need to get done, we know how to win, and we know how to beat really good teams, because we’ve done it before,” Rivera said.  

Alexis Blue is a junior at Cal Poly Humboldt, majoring in journalism and minoring in writing. She enjoys drinking coffee, sunsets on the beach, and playing soccer.