Written by James Gensterblum, ’12
To become a record-setter and achieve unprecedented honors in any sport, it takes a person who’s more than just a special athlete. It requires someone with an additional edge to reach the top—and the Hillsdale College softball team’s junior pitcher, Joni Russell, has just that edge.
For Russell, the secret lies in an understated competitive fire that helped drive her to one of the greatest seasons in the history of the Hillsdale College softball program in 2023.
The junior set program and conference records with her dominance on the mound, helping lead the Chargers to a third G-MAC Tournament title and fourth NCAA DII Tournament appearance in the last six seasons.
“When you’re playing with great teammates against an elite opponent, you have to be at your best as a player and your sharpest on the mound,” Russell said. “It brings out the best in you, and that’s really exciting as a player. Moments like that are what make softball such a fun sport to play.”
Russell was sensational in 2023, guiding the Chargers to a 35-21 record and becoming the first Hillsdale pitcher to earn consensus All-American honors since Renae Schaffner in 1989. Her 268 strikeouts set a single-season record, while her microscopic 0.76 ERA was the second-lowest in program history. Both marks ranked in the top five in the nation in 2023. Russell’s ERA, when combined with a strong showing from two-time All-G-MAC honoree and second starter Erin Kapteyn, helped Hillsdale set a G-MAC record for staff ERA with just 1.71 earned runs conceded per seven innings.
But despite all of those amazing numbers, one statistic tells the story best. Against Russell last year, opposing hitters batted an anemic .188 with the bases empty, and with runners on base, opposing hitters were even worse against Russell, hitting just .154.
For almost every other pitcher in the country, when pitching to a batter with runners on base, their effectiveness declines. Russell, in defiance of every statistical expectation, was the exception in 2023.
“You just don’t see that from pitchers, and it really is a testament to her competitive spirit,” Hillsdale College Softball Coach Kyle Gross said. “She relishes the chance to play in those moments, and she pushes herself to be her very best to match the importance of the moment.”
Gross said he can tell if a player is talented enough to be great, but he can’t always know if they have the mindset to get to that level. “Joni is someone who has both, and we’ve been very blessed to have her in our program.”
Russell heads into her third season at Hillsdale with an opportunity for more special moments in 2024. She needs just 46 strikeouts to become Hillsdale’s all-time career strikeouts leader, and there’s also the possibility of becoming Hillsdale’s first-ever repeat All-American in softball.
But individual goals aren’t a priority for Russell, who’s focused on helping the Chargers be the best they can be as a team. Hillsdale returns all but one player from last year’s NCAA tournament squad and has a chance at a truly special season in 2024.
For Russell, making that happen means continuing to grow as both a player and a leader.
“We were a very young team last year, and as a returning starter, I put a lot of pressure on myself to shoulder as much of the burden as I could,” Russell said. “This year, we have so many talented players on this team who are ready to break out.”
Russell wants to be the kind of leader who helps bring out the best in her teammates. “I am pushing myself to be someone who can support and encourage others to be their best.”
James Gensterblum is the Director of Athletic Communications at Hillsdale College.
A 2012 graduate of Hillsdale College, James worked in print journalism as a sportswriter and editor in Michigan and Indiana for eight years prior to returning to Hillsdale, winning numerous awards for sportswriting and photography from the Michigan Press Association and the Associated Press.
Reposted from the spring 2024 issue of Arete.
