Anguiano makes the cut

As far as summer jobs go, Loren Anguiano has run the gamut. She’s worked at the Boys & Girls Club, a gym, a hair salon, a shoe store, and as a receptionist. To say her job this June, July, and August as a professional softball player with the Philadelphia Force of the National Pro Fastpitch league is an improvement, would be stating the obvious.
“So far,” she joked, “it kind of beats the rest of them. It’s definitely better than working at a shoe store.”
Anguiano nearly had another job after graduating from St. John’s. Following the season, she was prepared to head home to Arizona to get an internship for court translation, her desired career choice. That was until assistant coach Laura Taylor reached out to the Force, whom she had played for previously.
Anguiano went in for a tryout and signed a contract shortly after her workout. Although she is not playing regularly so far, Anguiano is being used in a utility role, as an infielder and outfielder. Furthermore, she is the first member of the Red Storm to make it pro.
She developed into a top-flight player at the Jamaica school. At St. John’s, she earned third team All-Big East honors after hitting .287 with 38 runs, 50 hits, 13 doubles, 10 home runs and 30 RBI. Anguiano was among the league’s leaders in hits, RBI, doubles and homers.
“She’s very skilled, “St. John’s Coach Amy Kvilhaug said. “She has a really good softball mind. She works hard at improving her game. Lo has all the potential in the world. She just loves to play game. She’s the one who wants to take extra ground balls before practice and take extra cuts after practice.”
In college, that work ethic separated Anguiano from the pack. With the Force, she has noticed, everyone is always working. They practice during the week as a team, although individuals often spend their free time refining their craft, and play games on the weekend as a part of a marathon 44-game schedule. “Honestly, it kind of feels like a dream come true,” Anguiano said. “You don’t think it would happen, but it is happening. I can’t really describe it - it’s kind of unreal to me.”
Not that Anguiano has that deer-in-the-headlights look. She doesn’t feel the pitchers are that much better than at the college level. They don’t throw that much harder or that many more pitches. It is merely on the professional level.
“It’s the same game, just a different level of competition,” she said. “You’re playing against the best of the best.”