Riley Plogger finishes career as an Aggie on top

On March 7, during what wound up being the final game of the softball season for the Utah State University Aggies, Riley Plogger crossed home plate for the 114th time in her college career, setting an all-time school record. For the senior outfielder, the achievement was one of many record-busting statistics and helped cap off an inspiring exhibition season for the team.

Unfortunately, Plogger and the rest of the Aggies did not get the chance to showcase their improvement in conference play, as the COVID-19 pandemic cut the season short. Plogger was especially impacted, as the conclusion of the season also marked the end to her time as a college athlete. 

“I was preparing for my career to end,” she said.”It was quite the blindside.”

The Redlands, Calif. native spent the majority of her life playing sports. She started playing softball at the age of four while also dabbling in soccer. While bouncing between the two, Plogger ultimately stuck with softball at 13 after her parents urged her to choose a sport to pursue seriously. Not only did she dive nose first into the sport, she ended up playing for 14 years.

Plogger credits former Arizona Wildcat outfielder Caitlin Lowe as a significant softball role model, but it was her childhood-favorite Vladimir Guerrero of the Los Angeles Angels, who inspired her to wear the number 27 on her jersey.

“I loved that he could hit any pitch out of the park,” she said. 

In addition to becoming enthralled by Lowe during the 2006 College World Series and beyond, Plogger had the opportunity to receive hitting lessons from Lowe while she was in high school. 

“I wanted to be just like her and I wanted to mimic everything she did,” she said.

After years as a travel ball-player, her play took off in high school, where she spent all four years at Redlands East Valley High School. There, she was named Rookie of the Year in her 2012-13 freshman outing. 

She was later named MVP as a senior, rounding out her high school career as a four-year letter winner. In addition, Plogger held a .361 batting average, recorded 114 hits and played club ball for So Cal Athletics.

Plogger caught the eye of college scouts across the country. One of the interested scouts was Auburn’s then-coach Steve Johnson. He first became aware of Plogger in 2012 when she attended a satellite camp Johnson held in California. The following summer, he was hired on at USU to coach the Aggies softball team. 

Lowe’s familiarity with Plogger carried over to USU. It was her multifaceted athletic talent, consisting of great ball instincts in the outfield and a strong arm, that drew the coach’s attention to her. He wanted her to be one of the team’s first recruits and felt she was “someone we could build a program with.”

As for Plogger, the decision to become an Aggie came with slight hesitation. At first, the opportunity to play in a larger program, such as Auburn, was a dream.

“I can remember the moment when he told me,” she said. “I remember looking at my mom and being like, ‘where in the heck is Utah State?’”

However, once she attended training camp and explored the town and Utah State’s campus, she “fell in love.” Plogger recalled telling her mother on the plane ride home that she was going to take any offer the team gave her.

It didn’t take Plogger long to find her place on the Aggies softball team. Coming in as a freshman, she earned a spot as a starter, a role in which she flourished. In addition to earning a second all-conference team and academic honors in the Mountain West, her performance made it to the USU record book several times. 

With a .370 batting average, 34 earned runs and 39 RBIs, Plogger placed eighth on the single-season record list for runs and sixth for RBIs over the same span of time. Additionally, she placed sixth for her five triples, recorded over 51 games.The hits didn’t stop there, with her excellence for the Aggies continuing throughout her college career.

Her senior season culminated in a historic, though bittersweet, fashion.

With the season limited to only 24 games, Plogger still managed to climb USU’s rankings. Moving up the list in multiple categories, such as fifth for career slugging percentage (.511) and fourth in career walks (74), her ultimate achievement was setting the all-time career runs record. 

“It was an incredible moment,” she said of the play leading to her record-setting run. “You eventually forget details from games, but you don’t forget moments like that.

“The fact that it was a walk-off hit was even more special, because it meant a win for the team,” Plogger said.

Although her career came to a grinding halt, mere months before she was set to graduate, Plogger remained optimistic and grateful for her time at USU, as well as her playing days in the past. 

“I had a very blessed career, was blessed with a lot of opportunities,” she said. 

With the support of her family, teammates and her coaches, Plogger left an impact, from the first moment she stepped onto a baseball diamond through the last.

Looking back, moving forward

Her family, whom supported her from the very start, speaks highly of Plogger and reflected on the time she spent playing softball. LeeAnn Plogger, Riley’s mother, said the moment she realized that her daughter had “arrived” was during her time playing travel ball at 12. 

She said a favorite moment of hers was watching Plogger hit a three-run home run her freshman year against Fresno State. “Her work ethic and the teammate she was to others always made us very proud,” she said.

Plogger’s father, Rick, said he looks back fondly on their backyard practices, countless hours in the batting cage and playing catch. 

Plogger said her grandparents were some of her biggest fans. They reminisced on the time they spent watching Plogger grow, from “an adorable, funny little girl” to the accomplished person she is currently. 

Perhaps one of her biggest supporters was her brother Matt, who is only a year younger. He believes that their closeness in age was “a big asset” for the pair. He also noted her ability to be a compassionate, driven leader. 

“She has always been a role model and a leader since day one,” he said. “I am excited to see the great future she has in store for her.”

Plogger also embraces the value of the bond they shared growing up, considering him a best friend and sibling-coach during games. 

“My brother would text me during games and be very invested,” she said.

Speaking to the leadership role that Plogger embraced, Johnson believes that, while she did a good job setting an example for her younger teammates, it will be difficult to replace her. 

“She’s done a good job of working with others to step into that role,” he said. “You hope someone can fill in [for her] on the field.”

Moving on from her playing days, Plogger plans to use her bachelor’s degree in communicative disorders and deaf education to one day become a speech language pathologist. After her graduation this semester, she plans to spend a year as a speech language pathology assistant. Then in the future, she plans to get her master’s in speech pathology, and hopes to become a coach in a graduate assistant position. 

@froehlich.scott

— swfroehlich@gmail.com