With her team clinging to a 2-1 lead in the 2021 MAAC Championship game,
Lauren Rende – then a sophomore – delivered an RBI double in the fifth inning to pad Manhattan College's advantage. The Jaspers would eventually claim their first MAAC softball title since 1999 with a 6-3 win over Canisius.
The victory completed a magical conference tournament run for the sixth-seeded Jaspers, which started by ousting No. 3 Iona. Including the championship win over No. 2 Canisius, Manhattan dispatched the second, third and fourth seeded teams to advance to the NCAA Softball Regional in Fayetteville, Ark.
The highs of 2021 were followed by lows in 2022 and 2023, but that hasn't put a damper on expectations for Rende, now a graduate student in her final year of eligibility, even with Manhattan softball off to a slow start in 2024.
"As a team, we're feeling optimistic and motivated," Rende said. "We're drawing inspiration from our memorable run three years ago with some new mindsets and mentality. Despite the challenges of the past two years, we're focused on regaining momentum and aiming for success this season. We have a great group of girls and fantastic coaching staff to get us to where we want to be."
The Jaspers return 90% of their roster, giving the program stability unrivaled by many in the MAAC. Along with Rende, who was named to the All-MAAC First Team last season, Manhattan also returns talented sophomore
Maddy Weir coming off a Second Team All-MAAC selection and sophomore
Sophia Kiseloski who joined her on the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
While the roster enjoyed continuity, the Jaspers are now led by first-year head coach and former Jasper assistant
Bridget Hurlman, who returned to Manhattan College after six seasons as head coach at Rhode Island.
Expectations may not be high outside the Jaspers' dugout – Manhattan College was voted 10th in the preseason MAAC coaches' poll – but Rende is leaning on her experience to help her team defy the doubters.
"Coming from a veteran perspective, I'm approaching this season with a strong emphasis on leadership and experience," the fifth-year infielder from Ardsley, N.Y. said. "Drawing from my role on the championship-winning team, I'm focused on instilling a winning mentality and resilience. I aim to lead by example both on and off the field by providing guidance, motivation, support and reliability to my teammates."
The Jaspers' success this spring will start with Rende, who garnered her first career first team all-conference nod last season after slashing .308/.402/.505/.907. The two-time All-MAAC honoree led the Jaspers in batting average (.308), slugging percentage (.505), runs scored (24) and home runs (5) while driving in 16 runs. Rende also had a positive walk-to-strikeout ratio (15 walks, 11 strikeouts) and was successful on 10-of-12 stolen base attempts.
"In addition to dedication and hard work, overcoming my shoulder injury played a significant role in my breakthrough last season," Rende said. "The experience of rehabilitation and perseverance taught me valuable lessons in resilience and mental toughness, ultimately contributing to my success on the field. It fueled my determination to make the most of every opportunity and cherish every moment playing this game."
With her injury behind her that forced her to miss the beginning of the 2023 campaign, Rende is poised to finish her career strong.
Entering this weekend's trip west to the Colorado Classic with a combined five games against Northern Colorado and Colorado State, Rende has a career slash line of .308/.378/.444/.822 across 130 games.
Regardless of how this season plays out, Rende is poised to lay it all out on the diamond and set the foundation for future Jasper softball success.
"This offseason, I focused on further refining my skills and enhancing my overall game," Rende said. "I dedicated extra time to strength and conditioning to improve my physical abilities and prevent injuries. Additionally, I worked on fine-tuning specific aspects of my game such as softball IQ, decision-making and leadership qualities. As it's my final season, I'm determined to leave everything on the field and make it the best one yet."
