Trip to American Samoa to connect with roots brings perspective for Alia Logoleo

Alia Logoleo has one more shot at a WCWS with the Tigers, but first, this campaign is about having fun and seeing smiles.

by Brooks Thomason - Correspondent - Tue Feb 06 07:00:03 GMT-04:00 2024

2024 comes with big expectations for Alia Logoleo and the Clemson softball team.

This season will be Logoleo's last shot. Going into her fifth and final year, expectations for the Tigers are high, and they look to bounce back after a tough end to their season last year. An offseason trip to get back to her roots guides the mentality in this campaign.

After an impressive 2023 regular season, Clemson’s run to the Women’s College World Series ended after losing at the eventual champions, the Oklahoma Sooners, in the Super Regional round.

Clemson, who looked to have high expectations of going to the WCWS, came just short of their goal. The Tigers will look to build on the 49-12 record from last year and bounce back this season.

2024 looks to be a change for Clemson; important senior names returned, such as USA Softball National College Player of the Year Valerie Cagle and McKenzie Clark also. Logoleo’s 2023 numbers were integral to the success, starting all 61 games for Clemson and posting a .296 AVG and a .381 OBP, going 11-11 on stolen bases with 51 RBIs, which ranked second among Clemson players last season. She led the team in assists and double plays on the defensive side, showing her talent all over the diamond.

After the Orange vs Purple scrimmage on Sunday, Logoleo said one important message she had was the change in mentality for this year compared to last year.

“Going into this year, we are going to have fun, no matter what it is, no matter who we are playing,” Logoleo said.

When asked about playing at a high level, Logoleo’s response showed why the mentality changed for the upcoming season,

“I took a trip over break to American Samoa to run camps, even stuff like that for those who don't have a lot or don’t know a lot about softball, it really takes your mind off huge games like (the Oklahoma series),” she said.

Expounding on the trip, she said she connected with family and learned about her roots.

“It was insane…I got to meet a lot of family I’ve never met before…It was great learning about my culture, meeting a lot of people and seeing a lot of new things,” Logoleo said.

Logoleo’s trip to American Samoa changed her perspective on what her last season should look like. Seeing the experiences of others this offseason has led to Logoleo wanting to see “smiles on everyone’s faces,” she said.

Clemson softball begins its season on Thursday at the NFCA Leadoff Classic versus Missouri State at 7 p.m. in Clearwater, Florida. The Tigers will play four more games there through Sunday before heading to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for another invitational starting next Wednesday.