Jaden Colunga looks to improve on freshman campaign

Despite the snowfall in Logan between semesters, members of Utah State’s softball team are gearing up for the season. One player head coach Todd Judge expects to be a mainstay in the Aggies’ lineup is sophomore outfielder Jaden Colunga.  

Colunga is coming off a breakout freshman season in which she hit .327 with 23 RBIs, eight doubles, and three home runs while winning the Mountain West Freshman of the Year Award. Colunga attributed her success to her coaches instilling a translated mindset she grew to a collegiate level.  

“I would say I always attack the first pitch if I can,” Colunga said. “Being aggressive is always my biggest thing because I was always in the middle of the lineup where I have to bring in runners. I don’t really care for home runs, I just want to get on base as much as I can.” 

Colunga grew up in Colton, California in a family with baseball as a staple of her early family life.  

“I was the first girl in my family, so everyone else played baseball,” Colunga said. “I trained with my older cousin who played baseball at Long Beach State, so I thought that if he could do it, so could I, but I’m just going to do it in a different way.” 

Colunga’s background playing baseball growing up has translated into how she approaches her game as a softball player.  

“I think everything from my swing, my approach, my gameplay is really similar to baseball style,” Colunga said. “The sports are different, but at the same time, it’s still a competition. You have a whole team out on the field, but it’s still just you against the pitcher when you step up to the plate.” 

Utah State’s softball team underwent a coaching change when Todd Judge was hired in June. For Judge, Colunga immediately stood out as he got familiar with the roster he was inheriting.  

“Immediately I was drawn to her average, and her home runs and RBIs,” Judge said. “The numbers and what I saw with my own eyes from film led me to think that I’m pretty lucky here to have this kid on my team.” 

Judge arrived at Utah State after previously being on Brigham Young University’s coaching staff. Colunga suffered a groin injury which kept her out of competitions in the summer and fall, but her swing stood out to Judge in the short time they’ve been together. 

“She’s just really short and quick to the ball. She’s the type of kid that can hit very high-level pitching because she has no flaws in her swing,” Judge said. “A lot of kids have some flaws in their swings, and they can get hits off some of the bad pitching. Jaden’s swing is basically conducive to being set up to hit high-level Division I pitching.”  

Despite only being a sophomore, the lack of experience on Utah State’s roster allows Colunga to be a leader both on and off the field regardless of her age. The Aggies only have three senior or graduate students on the team, and Judge is looking for Colunga’s leadership skills to grow.   

“She needs to take a bigger leadership role within the framework of the team. I think as a freshman, she never thought that way,” Judge said. “It’s not usually that your sophomores are leaders, but I think she could take a big leadership role for the team because she does everything the right way.”  

Colunga also has been taking steps to break out of her shell this year. Starting last fall, she became an active participant in Utah State’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, or SAAC. Each scholarship sport at USU has players represent the team during different service projects and social activities while also providing feedback to the athletics department about issues involving athletes.   

“I thought it would be good for me to go experience things with other athletes; go hang out, kind of put myself out there a lot more because I was very timid and shy last year, so I did not want to go out,” Colunga said. “I really like it, and I think it does reach out more to the community and how they really see us as athletes.”  

Colunga has spent the last four months recovering from her injury, but she is not satisfied with simply replicating the season she had last year.  

“I did win Mountain West Freshman of the Year, but at the same time, that’s last year. That’s past me,” Colunga said. “This year, I’m here to help the team, and I really want to lead the way into a championship series.”  

Utah State begins its season on Feb. 9 against Portland State in the Lynn Russell Miller Classic in Riverside, California.