Universities love to reference their “student-athletes,” but not all of those athletes prioritize studies over the excitement of competing in Division I sports.
Especially when it comes to using the NCAA’s transfer portal.
For senior Arizona State softball catcher and infielder Millie Roberts, a roadblock in her educational path at Auburn, where she spent three years of her softball career, prompted an unexpected change of scenery to Arizona’s dry heat. It was a move motivated by her studies as much as softball.
Just weeks before graduating from Auburn in December with a bachelor’s degree in health adminstration, she learned she wasn’t accepted into a graduate program there.
“I had planned to stay there for my last two years and complete my MBA, but I didn’t end up getting into that program,” Roberts said, “so I had to make some quick decisions on my feet, and decided to actually enter the (transfer) portal after I graduated.”
Instead of dusting off her cleats and swinging a bat as she has every spring, Roberts took the semester off, interning with Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
During her time with Guthrie, Roberts witnessed many of the decisions made within the committee for the Trump administration, including how the policies were created, and the processes to get them passed.
Roberts is focusing academically on health administration and policy, a path initially proposed by her dad, Gavin, who serves on the hospital board back in her hometown.
Yet, without softball for the first time since she was 8, Roberts found the transition tough. She had no connections in Washington D.C. and it was difficult for her to watch an Auburn team she played with for two years continue without her.
It could have derailed her aspirations to continue with Division I softball. Instead, those tribulations only strengthened her resolve.
“I’ve never had to make big decisions like that, and it made me mature a little bit,” Roberts said.
The process of transferring to ASU began on the Sun Devils’ end, with assistant coach Josh Bloomer reaching out to Roberts shortly after she entered the portal. Bloomer already had a relationship with Roberts going back to her high school years, when he gave her hitting lessons while he was at Louisville Male High School.
“Softball, especially travel ball, it’s all networking,” Roberts said. “It definitely was a full-circle moment (and) it was also a lesson for me – the people that you know, and the connections that you make and the impressions that you leave on people is really important.”
While Roberts has settled into her pursuit of a master’s degree in health administration and policy at Arizona State, she is still trying to find her footing on the softball diamond.
In 10 games, Roberts is batting .118 with just two hits, which has limited her playing opportunities. However, her approach remains steadfast, anchored by her versatility in the field.
Although Roberts mostly pinch-hit at Auburn, her skill set extends from behind the plate to the infield. At Daviess County High School in Owensboro, Kentucky, Roberts played both catcher and third base but her fielding was overshadowed by a storied career at the plate, breaking the program’s single-season and career home run records with 16 and 36 respectively.
“Everyone saw the numbers that she was putting up offensively that really took away from what she was able to do behind the plate,” Daviess County softball coach John Biggs said. “For someone with her strength and her size at that time, she had really quick feet, and she could have played shortstop if we needed her to.”
Daviess County didn’t just prepare Roberts as an all-around athlete. It prepared her for the early pressures of recognition. Roberts verbally committed to Auburn as an eighth grader, entering high school with a college destination already mapped out.
Roberts’ resourcefulness as a fielder lends itself to an ASU squad that prides itself on its depth and versatility.
ASU coach Megan Bartlett noted that the top of the Sun Devils’ lineup has been “tremendous” this season, limiting opportunities for reserves like Roberts.
“Our bats get a lot done, and that’s a big part of the reason we win ball games so I think you’re just trying to find good balance in all of it,” Bartlett said. “Who can serviceably defend? Who’s going to give us a plus bat in the lineup depending on different matchups? For some of it, it’s just who’s been healthy.”
While plate appearances might not come consistently, Roberts’ attitude has not changed. She remains ready to contribute when given the chance.
“I haven’t played in two years, so taking the time to get mentally back into it and really dive into the process of film and really reflecting on my paths, I think is a big thing for me,” she said. “But I’m excited to get back out there and get another opportunity.”
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