Brennan AngelIf anyone knows about commitment, it’s Cal Poly softball player Lisa Modglin.
The senior center fielder has spent the last four weekends in four different cities, traveling with the Mustangs on a bus to tournaments in Las Vegas, Cathedral City, Fullerton and Sunnyvale.
Of her fast-paced schedule the past month, Modglin said, “We have Monday off, practice Tuesday and Wednesday, and leave Thursday (for the tournaments).”
In between the intense travel schedule and classes, though, Modglin has made a strong early case to be Big West Conference Player of the Year.
The Simi Valley native leads Cal Poly in batting average (.500), runs scored (31), hits (41), home runs (11), RBI (28), total bases (84), slugging percentage (1.024), on-base percentage (.559) and stolen bases (6) and is tied for the team lead in doubles (8), triples (1) and has not committed an error all year.
More importantly, she has led the best start for the Mustangs (18-6) since 1997.
Modglin has won three consecutive Big West Player of the Week awards, which matches a conference record.
After a stellar showing at the Palm Springs Classic in Cathedral City from Feb. 23 to 25, Modglin was featured on ESPN.com.
It seems the business senior is determined to go out with a bang.
Cal Poly appears on its way to a third straight winning season.
“It’s the most successful start I’ve seen,” Modglin said.
Still, the ultimate goal for the Mustangs is to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since moving to the Division I level in 1995 after being controversially left out of the tournament field in 1997, 2005 and 2006.
Modglin will be focusing on academics in her last quarter at Cal Poly next fall. She will graduate with a business degree with a concentration in accounting.
With the absence of a sports schedule next year, Modglin said she is considering getting a job and is looking forward to the few extra hours of sleep her schedule will afford her.
“It will be weird having all that free time,” she said.
A devoted team player, though, Modglin said she still plans to attend the games next season.
“All my best friends are on the team,” she said.
She has been playing softball for as long as she can remember.
“Since I was five or six,” she said.
Modglin played for her Simi Valley High team and was also on the Pioneers’ soccer team.
Of her future plans, Modglin said she is unsure.
“If I could stay around here, I would like that,” she said.
As for her plans regarding softball after the season, she said, “I might just play for fun in the future.”
Cal Poly is in the midst of a 25-game road trip spanning 31 days. It resumes at 10 a.m. Friday in Sacramento against Kansas at the Capital Classic, which concludes Sunday.
The Mustangs return home for a 1 p.m. nonconference doubleheader March 24 against St. Mary’s. They then have a showdown at home against No. 12 UCLA in a 1 p.m. doubleheader March 25.