PRESS RELEASE: JUNE 18, 2025

SJR State retires two Vikings softball jerseys

SJR State officially retired the jersey numbers for softball standouts Princess Arredondo (#25) and Alyssa Vallad (#13). Pictured in back row: President Joe Pickens, softball coach Joe Pound, and Athletic director and head baseball coach Ross Jones.

Another first in St. Johns River State College softball history - President Joe Pickens officially retired the jersey numbers for softball standouts Princess Arredondo (#25) and Alyssa Vallad (#13) as a tribute to their accomplishments and impact on the softball program.

The retirement ensures the numbers will not be worn again by future athletes and preserves the players’ legacy and achievements.

Athletic director and head baseball coach Ross Jones said Arredondo and Vallad join baseball player Nathaniel Lowe (2015) as the only student-athletes in Viking history to be named NJCAA All-Americans on the field and NJCAA Academic All-Americans in the classroom in the same year.

“This year, as these two young ladies led the Vikings back to the world series for the second year in a row, Princess and Alyssa were again named to the NJCAA All-American team and the NJCAA Academic All-American team, making them, the only two athletes in SJR State history to win both honors in back-to-back years,” Jones said. “Princess was also named the NJCAA DII Softball National Player of the Year. She is the first athlete (in any sport) to ever win this award.”

Before the college trustees and with a standing ovation, Pickens presented the jerseys to Arredondo and Vallad, reflecting on the growth and significance of the college’s athletic teams. “It is and has always been important to me that the term ‘student-athlete’ means something here at SJR State,” he said. “To say that these two ladies and their teammates put the college on the map is an understatement.”

According to head softball coach Joe Pound, Arredondo has had an incredible two years at SJR State. “She is a professional hitter. Her bat-to-ball skills, combined with the power aspect of her game, make her a special player,” Pound said. “She has had an unbelievable career, re-writing the record books and leading SJR State Softball to back-to-back World Series appearances including our first National Championship in 2024. I am thankful for what she has done for this program and excited to watch her continue her career.”

Arredondo graduates from SJR State with her Associate in Arts degree and a 3.52 GPA. She heads to James Madison University in Virginia this fall, where she will play for the Dukes and major in business.

Coach Pound said Vallad is arguably the best all-around player the past two seasons. “She was a dominant force in the circle tossing a program record four no-hitters this season. Offensively, she hit 24 home runs this season and had 43 for her career. Her walk-off home run in the National Championship game in 2024 is a moment I'll never forget,” Pound said.

Vallad will continue her career at Valdosta State University next year, where she will major in biology.

In 2024, the SJR State Vikings won its first-ever Sun-Lakes Conference and FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Championship under softball head coach Joe Pound, finishing the season with 55 wins and 79 home runs, earning the NJCAA DII national championship title on the first trip to the tournament in school history.

In 2025, the Vikings softball team claimed the state and district titles and made their second trip to the NJCAA World Series, where they placed third and finished the season with a record 56 wins.

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