Pauline Tufi
Louisiana Tech University softball fans certainly haven’t forgotten about Anchorage’s Pauline Tufi.
The former hitting and pitching standout was recently one of 10 players voted to the LaTech all-decade team in an online poll.
“This is an honor of a lifetime to not only represent Tech but to be able to represent my father in heaven and my family he blessed me with,” Tufi told me. “Without their support and constant love, I would not have made it this far. I don’t know who voted but I couldn’t be more proud to just be a nominee.”
Tufi, of West High fame, played four seasons from 2014 to 2017 at LaTech, where she was a three-time Conference USA all-league pick.
She ranks No. 1 all-time among Alaskans at the NCAA D1 level with 35 career home runs and 154 RBIs; she ranks No. 2 in school history in both categories.
“What stands out most is not the plays or the wins and losses but the process of everything, building myself up day in and day out to be the best me possible,” Tufi said. “Yes I struggled, we all do; but I never gave up because I learned the most through my struggles and my failures.
“Watching how my blood, sweat, and tears all came together with one stroke of my bat in our championship game to win our conference in 2017 showed me just how never giving into pain, struggle, or fear and always staying faithful to the process will always bring blessings.
“Talking about ‘Go Big or Go Home’ because everything from the process of my freshman year through my senior year led up to that exact moment in time and I believe everything happens for a reason. It is and always will be about the process with me.”
In 2017, Tufi became Alaska’s all-time home run leader at NCAA D1 level with 35, breaking the previous record of 34 set by Anchorage’s Lillian Bullock at North Carolina A&T.
Tufi is one of the greatest softball players out of Alaska, a two-way terror who had power at the plate and precision in the pitching circle.
She holds the single-season LaTech record with six saves in 2015. She ranks Nos. 4 and 5 in the record book in single-season home runs, clubbing 12 in 2015 and 11 in 2016.
“To be completely honest, I miss playing but not as much as I thought I would,” Tufi said. “My love for the game will never stop; it bleeds in me and will live in me forever but my love for life is greater now.
“Ever since I’ve stopped playing, I’ve found a completely different side of me. Yes, my tenacity, my energy, and my passion are still there. But instead of it growing in softball, it is growing into my life and into my family. I love the blessings time has given me and I couldn’t be more thankful for the time spent on the field for Tech.”