Leaving the beautiful confines of Malibu and taking off across the country to Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, Jamie Samuel was searching for what she deemed a “radical change.” Three years later, the former Malibu High School softball standout has taken her ability on the diamond to a new level with her record-breaking performance this spring.
Samuel, a 2009 graduate of MHS, had a historic season for the Ladies, owners of perhaps the greatest nickname in collegiate sports (the men are called the Lords). She set Kenyon College bests for batting average (.471), hits (66), doubles (19), runs batted in (41) and total bases (96) in a season.
For her efforts, Samuel was named to the NCAA Division III All-Central Region first team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. She became only the second player in the 15-year history of the school’s softball program to receive the highest honor at the regional level.
“I was so excited when I found out,” explained Samuel, who joined her coach Erin O’Neill (2001) as the program’s only two first-team recipients. “It was an amazing accomplishment, but it was bittersweet. I was happy with what I did but I had some clouds over my head since we didn’t do well as a team.”
Kenyon College finished with a disappointing 13-27 overall record and a 3-13 mark in the North Coast Atlantic Conference. The Ladies graduated a host of girls from the previous season who won 62 games in their career. With only five seniors on this year’s squad and eight freshmen coming aboard, the lack of experience hurt the team.
But it fueled Samuel. After setting a single-season best mark of .468 as a freshman and being named to the NCAC first team and All-Central Region second team, she struggled in her sophomore year batting only .307.
With a group of incoming freshmen bringing in a fresh sense of positive attitude and determination, Samuel, 20, challenged herself to duplicate her freshman year when she led the entire conference in hitting.
“Just meeting the girls motivated me,” Samuel said. “A whole new energy from them pushed me to better myself. I wanted to be a leader.”
The amazing part of her resurgence this season was that she missed all of the fall and part of winter studying abroad in Italy. When she returned to campus in January, it was time to make her mark.
Samuel, a utility player who plays pitcher, shortstop, third base and first base, took off from the first day of the season and never looked back. She had a conference-best .547 batting average. That mark came along with 10 doubles, three home run runs, 13 runs scored and 18 RBIs.
She earned All-NCAC first team honors for a second time in her career.
“It was pretty incredible considering I wasn’t around for the fall,” Samuel said. “It was a special season. I really cared about this team.”
With only one more season remaining for Samuel, what does she have in mind for an encore?
“I want to win the conference championship with my team,” said Samuel, who has only missed two games in her career. “I would love to beat my records too. But I have set the bar pretty high.”
Samuel has returned home to Malibu for the summer. While enjoying her time off from the rigorous academia of one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges (it is located two hours from Cincinnati), she finds time to keep in shape playing tennis, swimming, surfing and fielding ground balls from her father.
Whether she is at home in Malibu or in the Midwest at school, Samuel is having the time of her life.
“If I have one message for everyone, don’t be afraid to leave Malibu,” Samuel said. “I wanted to leave and try something new. It was scary at first to leave but I have really enjoyed my time at Kenyon. Leaving my hometown gave me such an appreciation of what I have in Malibu.”
It may have been a radical change at first, but Samuel made a rational change in the end.