Earlier this year, the Grand Canyon Antelopes announced their Hall of Fame inductee for the year 2019: Randi Johns Riggs, who starred for the program for four years in the late 2000s, was the first-ever softball player to earn induction into the Antelopes’ Hall of honor.
A school article about Riggs’ induction described her “stunned” reaction to receiving the news of her election, while GCU softball coach Ann Pierson had an opposite reaction. “I couldn’t think of a better person to go in,” Pierson was quoted as saying.
Named an NCAA Independent all-American and Rookie of the Year, Riggs earned Academic all-American honors three times during her career and hit better than .400 in each of the final two seasons of her career.
Following her official induction in the spring, Riggs visited with JWOS to talk about her career’s beginnings; playing for a small-market program; being enshrined in the Hall of Fame; and her current endeavors.
On the beginning of her softball career… I started playing softball because I have an older brother who played baseball. I watched him play for a few years before I decided I wanted to play. I caught on very quickly in little league and realized I was decent when I made the all-star team the first year I played. In school, I was always interested in competing so I played every sport that I possibly could. I fell in love with volleyball as well as softball. I gave basketball a try, but couldn’t keep up with all of the running. I truly think that’s part of the reason I excelled in softball; I had other sports cross training me and it kept my love for the game fresh.
On choosing Grand Canyon… I was lucky to have many other options to play collegiately; one of the big factors at the time was playing time. I wasn’t interested in going to a big school and possibly sit the bench for a year waiting for my time to play. At the time, GCU was a DII school and I knew that the community environment would make me feel like I was a part of a family. I needed those connections to be successful. On top of that, my brother played baseball for GCU and he loved it so much, I jumped at the opportunity when I was offered a scholarship.
On the difficulties of transitioning into college ball… The transition was pretty tough going from high school/club to college. For the first time in my life, I was essentially getting paid to play softball through my scholarship. It was sink or swim, and I knew I was replaceable and this was a privilege to play. I worked extra hard to make sure I was worth my scholarship; there are no handouts here: you perform or you don’t play, it was very simple. The conditioning built around our class schedules and the practices four hours a day were exhausting, but Ann Pierson runs a strict program and she expects you to be an academic force off the field as well. That style has completely formed my adult life, as I can balance many things because of the discipline I learned from her program.
On her advice to other players putting up big numbers at a small-market school… I would say to never make the game about yourself. At the end of your career, are excelling stats nice? Absolutely. However, people will remember you more for what you left on the field, what kind of teammate you were, and how hard you worked. Your legacy is more than stats.
On what being inducted into the Hall of Fame means to her… I feel that I gave my all on that field and in my academic program, so to be recognized for my hard work and loyalty to GCU, it feels amazing! I proudly hang my jersey and Lopes sign in my office and I feel I represent GCU softball every day. I feel that softball gave me much more than just a game; it refined my character and instilled traits in me that I have been able to use for life. I will continue to be a fan of the program and give back in any way I can.
On her legacy within GCU softball… I hope my legacy represents selflessness. I played every game for the win, not for my batting average or career stat. I played to win and I would have done anything to help the program succeed. I want players to understand that the game is more than just playing for yourself. I hope my teammates can say that, and I hope future players can understand that concept, because you will get more joy out of the game and in life when you lift others.
On her favorite career memory… My favorite memory was going to Hawaii as a freshman and being in awe of the fact that I was getting to play in such a beautiful state. It really showed me how lucky I was to be a Lope and how many opportunities I had.
On her current endeavors… Currently, I am a counselor at Copper Canyon High School and I get to interact with students every day. I get to help them make post-secondary goals and intervene when they need a caring adult. I love my job and I picked the perfect profession! Being a mom and wife is my most favorite adventure ever! I get to include them in my legacy and I can’t wait to see what path they take!
I helped with freshman softball last year at the high school I work at and that was refreshing to smell the clay again and swing a bat. I have a 4-year-old son and a one-and-a-half year old daughter, and they are only little once, so my hobbies take a back seat for now. I live by what Mother Theresa said: “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”
