Colorado Christian University may be having one of the best softball seasons in the country, but according to senior Arriana Wright, the team’s success has very little to do with statistics.
“We don’t even look at our stats,” Wright said with a laugh. “We actually had to stop the other day and ask, ‘Wait… how are we doing?’”
The Cougars earned a No. 1 seed in the South Central Region and hosted the first NCAA Regional in program history this season. But inside the dugout, players say something deeper is driving the team.
“We’re not playing for our stats,” Wright said. “We’re playing for each other.”
For Wright, this season has been about much more than softball.
A senior transfer competing in her first year at CCU, she arrived unsure of where she fit — not only as an athlete, but spiritually.
“I was scared,” Wright admitted. “I didn’t know the Bible. I didn’t know if I would be accepted.”
Instead of judgment, she found teammates willing to walk alongside her through questions about faith and life.
Through team Bible studies, prayer, and conversations with teammates, Wright says she experienced a different kind of community than she had ever known before.
“I came in with more questions than answers,” she said. “And I had people who would just sit with me and say, ‘Let’s figure it out together.’”
That culture starts with longtime head coach Larry Hays, who at 82 years old continues to mentor players on and off the field.
“We want to compete for championships, absolutely,” Hays said. “But more importantly, we want our players to leave here knowing who they are in Christ and understanding their value goes far beyond the game.”
Junior pitcher Hanna Espinoza, who serves as the team chaplain, says some of the most meaningful moments of the season haven’t happened during games.
“One of the highlights of my time playing softball at CCU has been holding Bible studies with my teammates off the field,” Espinoza said.
For Wright, the experience has reshaped far more than her season.
“I’ve grown more this year than I ever have,” she shared. “I’m in a better place mentally. I’ve found purpose.”
In a sports culture often consumed by performance and pressure, the Cougars are quietly proving something different:
Sometimes the most meaningful victories happen far beyond the public eye.
