You could say Jaleila Aupont, better known as “GiGi” to her Bishop Fenwick peers, is one of the top softball pitchers in the area. The senior ace is taking her talents to the Division 1 scene next year as she committed to study and play at Central Connecticut State University.
When asked about the New Britain spot, Aupont talked about her feelings visiting campus.
“When I went on a tour of the campus, I could just see myself there. There’s a lot of diversity, which is what I was looking for,” she said. “When I was younger, I always thought of the college experience and when I went on campus, that’s what I found. It seems like they do a lot of activities that both the athletes and students are included in.”
Then, there were the connections she made with coaches and current players.
“I connected well with the head coach (Breanne Gleason) and the assistant coach (Pat Holden). Some players on the team reached out to me and they guided me through their experiences,” said Aupont, who registered 227 strikeouts in 144 innings with only 35 walks her junior season. “I also talked to some non-athletes there who told me great things about the school, which helped my decision.”
As a Division 1 athlete, there’s not a lot of time away from working on your craft, something Aupont had to consider while finding her landing spot.
“A couple of years ago, I thought about going to college and playing softball, but I was a bit worried about how stressful it would be, especially because it’s Division 1 and you eat, breathe, and play softball,” Aupont said. “I was iffy on that and thought about going to a Division 2 school instead. Throughout the years, I decided I should go for Division 1 because I already eat, breathe, and play softball, so I didn’t want to disappoint myself and the people around me if I didn’t live up to my full potential.”
Someone who’s been in Aupont’s circle is her father, Wendell.
“He’s had a huge impact on my career. When I was younger, I would just play rec ball and I wasn’t that good, but my dad always made time to take me to the field to throw and hit,” she said. “Then, during COVID when we were in complete lockdown, he would take me to the field every day and we would practice. We grew a lot closer because of it and he started Northern Mass Invaders because of me, and he loves the sport now.”
All of those practices paid off. GiGi touched upon how softball strengthened her bond with her father.
“I really like the game because it strengthened my relationship with my dad. He got into softball because of me. It gives us something to connect on other than just being a father-daughter relationship,” she said. “When I’m on the field, sometimes, it feels like it can get a little stressful because I feel the game is sometimes on my back as the pitcher. But I also like being a team leader off the field and on it.”
Wendell coaches softball at Penguin Hall in Wenham and launched Invaders so his life could also be involved with softball, just like GiGi’s.
“He tries his best to make most of my games,” she said. “Whenever he doesn’t have games, he’s always there to support me and I’m always looking out in the outfield to make sure he’s there.”
From numerous 10+ strikeout games to a handful of game-winning hits, GiGi has done a little bit of everything during her Fenwick career. She said she’s enjoying her final season with her teammates and – truth be told – isn’t looking forward to its conclusion.
“I’ve been enjoying it a lot,” she said. “Enjoy what time we have together. This year, our team chemistry is really good and we’re getting along.”
