2024 Softball Roster
Roster
OF
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballUTIL
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballOF/IF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballSS
/ SoftballUTIL
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballP/1B
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballP/OF
/ SoftballC/1B
/ Softball
Jersey Number 11
Leilani Chavez
- Class:
- Senior
- Position:
- OF
- Bat/Throw:
- L/R
- Hometown:
- Covina, Calif.
- High School:
- Charter Oak High School
- Major:
- Public Health
Senior (2024) - Game-By-Game Stats
Prior to Rutgers:
Personal:
Chavez on Choosing Rutgers: "I chose Rutgers because of its academics, great softball program and I love the coaching staff."
Coach Butler on Leilani Chavez: "We have been watching Lei for a long time and have seen her grow into a great softball player. She has a ton of speed that will add diversity to our lineup and her defense is stellar."
KNOW YOUR KNIGHTS
Nickname: Lei
One word to describe Coach Butler: dependable
Favorite Rutgers athlete, past or present: Carla Camino
Major: Public Health
I chose my major because: I would like to become a nurse.
Favorite place to hang out on campus: Softball Field
The person I most admire is and why: My sisters because they have been a role model to me.
If I wasn’t playing softball, I’d be: doing arts and crafts.
Favorite professional athlete: Mike Trout
Favorite professional sports team: Angels
One word to describe myself on the field: fast
One word to describe myself off the field: understanding Few people know that I::played basketball.
Person who had greatest influence on my athletics career: My dad
I started playing my sport because…: growing up watching my sisters play softball made me realize that I'd want to be a good softball player like them.
I chose Rutgers because…: I liked the atmosphere of the school when I came on my visit
Favorite cereal: Frosty Flakes
The movie I have watched the most in my lifetime is: League of Their Own
The best actor/actress to play me in a movie is…: Sandra Oh
Favorite musician/group: Dan&Shay
The first song I knew all the words to is: Meet Me Halfway- Black Eye Peas
If I could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, I would win a gold medal at: watching tv.
Rituals I have before, during or after a game are: listening to music
Favorite all-time gift received: Phone
Pets I had growing up were: two dogs
My favorite Halloween costume growing up was: Green M&M
The place in the world I would most like to visit is: Paris
The website I visit most often is: Netflix
My favorite teacher was: Randall Thatcher was my 12th grade English teacher.
The quote that most resonates with me is: "believe in yourself before believing in others"
If my life was a book, the title would be: blunt & beautiful I
f I could choose any color when buying a new car it would be: gray
My spirit animal is: cheetah
One thing on my bucket list is: Is to travel to most countries
Phone app you cannot live without: snapchat
- Went 3-for-3 at the plate with a run in a 9-4 win at Michigan State for the most Big Ten wins in program history (Apr. 27)
- Scored one of three runs in the top of the seventh in a 3-0 win at Michigan State for the first back-to-back 30-win seasons in RU history (Apr. 26)
- Had an RBI single in the 3-0 series-opening win at Minnesota (Apr. 19)
- Captured two runs in a 10-2 run-rule win at LIU (Apr. 16)
- Hit 2-for-3 with a run scored in a 13-5 game two setback against Nebraska (Apr. 13)
- Scored a run in 5-3 win at San Diego in the series finale (Mar. 16)
- Registered an RBI in a 5-0 shutout at Cal Baptist (Mar. 13)
- Added an RBI hit in a 4-0 shutout win over host UNC at the Mizuno Invitational (Mar. 2)
- Went 2-for-2 with a run scored in a 7-2 victory over Lafayette to open the Mizuno Invitational (Mar. 1)
- Scored the lone run in a loss to BYU on the final day of the Mary Nutter (Feb. 24)
- Hit 2-for-3 with an RBI in a 7-5 win over UC Riverside on opening day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (Feb. 22)
- Scored the game-winning run after Rutgers entered the bottom of the seventh down 3-0 facing a no-hitter to storm back for a 4-3 victory over Maryland giving head coach Kristen Butler her 100th victory at Rutgers (Apr. 5)
- Was one of seven different Scarlet Knights led RU to eight hits going 2-for-3 with an RBI in a 6-3 win over Mercer at the Buby Invitational (Mar. 10)
- Posted a run and an RBI in an 8-5 win over Seattle at the NorCal Kickoff (Feb. 11)
- Collected a triple and run scored in a 5-1 win at UC Davis at the NorCal Kickoff (Feb. 11)
- Appeared in 31 games playing in the outfield or at designated player
- Went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a stolen base in a 13-3 victory over Wagner in the opening game of the Pirate Clash (Feb. 18)
- Finished the Pirate Clash with five hits in 10 at-bats (Feb. 18-20)
- Hit 2-for-3 in a 5-2 win over St. Peter's at the Rutgers Tournament (Mar. 18)
- Connected for a hit in her lone plate appearance as a pinch hitter in a 8-0 run-rule victory over Fairfield at the Rutgers Tournament (Mar. 18) Added a hit and a run in a 8-0 victory against Holy Cross at the Rutgers Tournament (Mar. 19)
- Posted an RBI at Indiana (Apr. 8)
- Went 1-for-2 with a run scored in opening game of double-header with Maryland (Apr. 19)
- Collected a hit in her lone plate appearance against Purdue (Apr. 29)
- Appeared in 30 games with 21 starts in the outfield
- Collected 12 hits, including two doubles and a team-leading two triples, along with three RBIs and three runs
- Scored two runs against Indiana (Mar. 13)
- Led RU batting 3-for-7 with two doubles and a triple in the Wisconsin series
Prior to Rutgers:
- San Gabriel Valley Tribune Second Team All-Area as a junior in 2019
- First Team All-League
- Helped Charter Oak High School to the CIF playoffs, including a quarterfinal appearance as a freshman
- Also played with the California Cruisers
Personal:
- Daughter of Tami and Juan
- Sister, Kalie, played softball at Biola University and sister, Marissa, is a shortstop at BYU
- Looking to major in public health.
Chavez on Choosing Rutgers: "I chose Rutgers because of its academics, great softball program and I love the coaching staff."
Coach Butler on Leilani Chavez: "We have been watching Lei for a long time and have seen her grow into a great softball player. She has a ton of speed that will add diversity to our lineup and her defense is stellar."
KNOW YOUR KNIGHTS
Nickname: Lei
One word to describe Coach Butler: dependable
Favorite Rutgers athlete, past or present: Carla Camino
Major: Public Health
I chose my major because: I would like to become a nurse.
Favorite place to hang out on campus: Softball Field
The person I most admire is and why: My sisters because they have been a role model to me.
If I wasn’t playing softball, I’d be: doing arts and crafts.
Favorite professional athlete: Mike Trout
Favorite professional sports team: Angels
One word to describe myself on the field: fast
One word to describe myself off the field: understanding Few people know that I::played basketball.
Person who had greatest influence on my athletics career: My dad
I started playing my sport because…: growing up watching my sisters play softball made me realize that I'd want to be a good softball player like them.
I chose Rutgers because…: I liked the atmosphere of the school when I came on my visit
Favorite cereal: Frosty Flakes
The movie I have watched the most in my lifetime is: League of Their Own
The best actor/actress to play me in a movie is…: Sandra Oh
Favorite musician/group: Dan&Shay
The first song I knew all the words to is: Meet Me Halfway- Black Eye Peas
If I could turn any activity into an Olympic sport, I would win a gold medal at: watching tv.
Rituals I have before, during or after a game are: listening to music
Favorite all-time gift received: Phone
Pets I had growing up were: two dogs
My favorite Halloween costume growing up was: Green M&M
The place in the world I would most like to visit is: Paris
The website I visit most often is: Netflix
My favorite teacher was: Randall Thatcher was my 12th grade English teacher.
The quote that most resonates with me is: "believe in yourself before believing in others"
If my life was a book, the title would be: blunt & beautiful I
f I could choose any color when buying a new car it would be: gray
My spirit animal is: cheetah
One thing on my bucket list is: Is to travel to most countries
Phone app you cannot live without: snapchat
Rutgers Softball Highlights vs. Maryland - Game 1
Saturday, March 07
2025 Rutgers Athletics Hall Of Fame Induction
Tuesday, December 16
Rutgers Athletics Launches the Athletic Excellence Fund
Monday, October 06
2025 Rutgers Softball Big Ten Highlights
Friday, August 08
