At the beginning of this year, UCLA softball had more vacant positions than returning starters. The eight-woman class of 2011 had to step into enormous shoes if UCLA was going to remain the premier program in college softball.
GiOnna DiSalvatore was one of those freshmen who earned a starting role, replacing outgoing senior Lisa Dodd at first base.
This was the same Lisa Dodd who was second on the 2007 Bruin squad in batting average and on-base percentage (.369 and .479); who led the team in slugging percentage (.694), home runs (14) and runs batted in (49); and who was named an All-American after a breakout senior season. DiSalvatore had the biggest cleats to fill of any incoming player.
She almost needed a bigger pair.
DiSalvatore batted .362, tied for third on the team, slugged at .532, also third, hit four home runs and drove in 45 runs. Not bad for the freshman from Florida.
“Lisa Dodd was one of the best that has ever played in our program, but she wasn’t one that came and impacted the lineup until her latter years,” coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “For GiOnna to come in and (have an impact) in her freshman year is an accomplishment. I wasn’t expecting her to have such great numbers in her first year. It was just impressive. She was consistently a go-to (player) throughout the year.”
That consistency was one of the reasons DiSalvatore got first-team All-American honors in her freshman season. She was the first Bruin to be thus honored as a freshman since Natasha Watley in 2001. Watley is the current starting shortstop on the U.S. Olympic team and assistant coach for the Bruins.
The other first team All-American was senior ace Anjelica Selden.
Perhaps the most remarkable element of DiSalvatore’s freshman year is that she started at first. DiSalvatore was recruited as a middle infielder. The first base spot was occupied by star sophomore Megan Langenfeld who shared time with Dodd in 2007.
“I had no idea that I was going to play first,” DiSalvatore said. “I came in willing to play any position that they would put me in. I’d do anything to start, I’d play any position to be in the starting lineup.”
DiSalvatore’s hard work and determination paid off. With DiSalvatore at first, Langenfeld could focus on making the transition to pitcher and becoming even more productive on offense.
DiSalvatore was one of just three Bruins to start every game this season and she also had the highest fielding percentage of any freshman (.975).
“I knew I was going to have a good year,” DiSalvatore said. “I never had a doubt that I could do it, but I didn’t expect to.”