Fab Five: Deena Pederson

LA JOLLA, Calif. – Photographs have the ability to capture important pieces of our past and help us recall people, places, feelings, and memories that made an impact on our lives. For many scholar-athletes, pictures secure those special moments and assist in making their collegiate careers last forever.

In a feature called “Fab Five”, Triton scholar-athletes are tasked to pick five of their favorite photos to be highlighted on UCSDtritons.com. 

Today, Deena Pederson from the Triton softball team shares her favorite pics.

Deena began her collegiate softball career at UC San Diego in 2020 coming from Sunnyvale, Calif. Playing in 30 games her freshman season, Deena's impact grew in her sophomore year as she started 44 games and played in 51 of 56 games. Compiling a . 258 batting average with 33 hits, 20 runs, 12 RBI, 44 bases total, and 14-15 on the base paths, Deena was critical toward the end of the season as the leadoff hitter for the Tritons. In the team's first NCAA Division I postseason appearance, Deena was named to the National Invitational Softball Championship All-Tournament Team for her outstanding performance over three games.

Deena is a computer science major out of UC San Diego's Muir College.

1. First DI Postseason

I was so honored and blessed to be a part of the first Division I team to reach postseason play. In this picture, we are in Colorado competing at the highest level against some great teams. We got our first postseason win against Rutgers after rallying back from a 5-0 deficit. It’s this fight that brought us to postseason play and will continue to propel us to break new boundaries as we continue to grow as DI athletes.

2. What It's All About

It’s all about our “why.”  As thrilling and gratifying as it is to experience hard-earned success and bust through boundaries, remaining grounded and keeping perspective is important. A major thing that brings my teammates and me back down to earth is remembering our “why” — why we play and why we continue to compete and push ourselves to our limits every single day. A big part of my why is playing for the little girl out there with dreams of playing college softball and showing her that anything is possible if she puts their mind to it, on and off the field. 

3. Welcome to the Big West

After Clarissa Reynoso hit a go-ahead 3-run home run in our series opener against Fullerton, everyone was hyped! Something I appreciate about the culture of Triton softball is that we bring confidence, grit, and fight no matter who our opponent is. In just our second Division I season, we knocked one off of Fullerton who would eventually be conference champs. It was exciting to have this moment captured on national television (ESPNU) – a first for UC San Diego since the DI transition. 

4. First Career Hit

My first career hit was a home run against USD my freshman year. Connecting with that ball symbolized so much to me. As I reflect on this moment, I see this was the beginning of my journey here in San Diego. I'd not only found a new softball family, but I was also at the school of my dreams. It was the start of a sense of belonging and joy, and a pivotal moment for the start of my career as a student-athlete at UC San Diego.

5. Walk-off Win

The greatest wins are the shared wins. When we do our best, collectively, it enables team as well as individual success. In our first Big West series against Bakersfield, Bobbi Aguirre walked it off with a grand slam, for a big 10-0 win for the rubber match of the weekend. It’s moments like these where you can feel the adrenaline and pure excitement all around – not just for one teammate, but also for the entire team. We are all in it together and there is no better feeling than celebrating the successes of one another. 

Check back on UCSDTritons.com all summer for future editions of “Fab Five” from other UC San Diego scholar-athletes. Previous “Fab Five” entries are below.

2022

• Sam Feinberg (Men's Rowing)
• Ava McInnes (Women's Volleyball)
• Adee Newman (Track and Field)
• Jake Kosakowski (Men's Basketball)
• Rachel Wagner (Women's Tennis)
• Matt Palma (Men's Volleyball)
• Nick Cirrito (Men's Soccer)
• Manuel Augusto (Men's Water Polo)

2020
• Sergi Mata (Men's Golf)
• Gabe Hadley (Men's Basketball)
• Jonathan Sabouri (Men's Soccer)
• Grace Murphy (Swimming & Diving)
• Collin Shannon (Men's Volleyball)
• Cindy Tran (Women's Volleyball)
• Jake Selstad (Men's Cross Country/Track & Field)
• Calder Hilde-Jones (Men's Water Polo)
• Anu Bhadada (Women's Tennis)
• Natalie Widmer (Women's Soccer)
• Konami Masui (Women's Fencing)
• Sarah Proctor (Women's Rowing)
• Neil Tengbumroong (Men's Tennis)
• Cameron Leonard (Baseball)
• Isabel Lavrov (Softball)
• Zeinab Torabi (Women's Track & Field)
 

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.