University of Minnesota Athletics
2025 Softball Roster
Valencia, Nani
Jersey Number 21
Nani Valencia
- Class:
- Senior
- Height:
- 5-7
- High School:
- Great Crossing HS
- Hometown:
- Georgetown, Ky.
Bio
2025 | SENIOR
Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree
Academic All-Big Ten
• Started all 50 games
• Led team in batting average (.335) and hits (52)
• Finished second in home runs (5), doubles (11), RBIs (29), slugging (.503) and total bases (78)
• Opened season with a 10-game hit streak
• Recorded 15 multi-hit games
2024 | JUNIOR
Academic All-Big Ten
• Had 49 appearances with 40 starts
• Set six career highs in at bats (5), runs scored (2), hits (3), doubles (1), home runs (1), and RBI (3)
• Ended the season with 36 hits, 13 of which were extra base hits
• Finished 2024 with 56 RBI
2023 | SOPHOMORE
2023 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honoree
Academic All-Big Ten
• Had 37 appearances and 15 starts
• Recorded a season high two hits at Ohio State (April 29)
• One of five Gophers to record a 1.000 fielding percentage
• Scored two runs, a season high, at Michigan State (April 14)
2022 | FRESHMAN
• Made 13 total appearances in her first college season with the Gophers
• Posted seven plate appearances and had two hits with three walks for a .714 on-base percentage
• Registered a .500 batting average and a 1.250 slugging percentage
• Tallied her first collegiate hit via a solo home run at Texas (Mar. 12) as a pinch hitter
• Drew a walk in the NCAA Norman Regional against Prairie View A&M (May 21) and added a second walk in the same game with the bases loaded
• Scored two runs and had two RBI for the year
• Stepped up as a pitcher nine times posting a 1-1 record and a 5.68 earned run average across 12.1 innings
• Recorded the first pitching victory of her collegiate career Apr. 13 against South Dakota State
• Made her Minnesota debut Feb. 17 tossing 1.1 innings at nationally-ranked Arizona State
• Struck out two batters in her first outing versus the Sun Devils totaling four for the season
• Pitched a season-high 2.2 innings at home against Maryland (Apr. 24)
HIGH SCHOOL
• Graduate of Scott County High School
• Known as 'Nani', a name with Hawaiian origin
• Named a high school All-American by Extra Innings Softball by holding a batting average of .526 with 31 home runs and 124 RBI during her prep career
• She also threw a no-hitter during her sophomore campaign and was an All-State selection in 2019 and 2021.
• She helped her high school team win two state championships and was a finalist for the prestigious Ms. Softball award in the state of Kentucky in 2020.
• In her final season in high school she was a member of the All-Region Tournament Team, an East/West All-Star and won the East/West All-Star Mark O'Brien Spirit of Competition Award.
• Was a member of her high school's honor roll all four years and graduated Magna Cum Laude.
• She was a First Team All-State Academic Team member and was a United Nations Activist for the Kentucky United Nations Assembly (KUNA).
• Made the SEFL Fall Championship All-Tournament Team and the SEFL All-Star Team.
PERSONAL
• The daughter of Melissa and Ruben Valencia, Nani has two siblings in Princess and Luke.
• Her older sister Princess currently plays softball at Kentucky.
• Valencia plans to major in Kinesiology or Biology at the University of Minnesota.
• Chose the University of Minnesota because "I loved absolutely everything about [Minnesota]. From the moment I started to chat with the coaches they made me feel like family. Then once I stepped foot on such a beautiful campus, I knew this was home. I also love the competitive spirit within all the sports played at Minnesota, especially with the softball program."
Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree
Academic All-Big Ten
• Started all 50 games
• Led team in batting average (.335) and hits (52)
• Finished second in home runs (5), doubles (11), RBIs (29), slugging (.503) and total bases (78)
• Opened season with a 10-game hit streak
• Recorded 15 multi-hit games
2024 | JUNIOR
Academic All-Big Ten
• Had 49 appearances with 40 starts
• Set six career highs in at bats (5), runs scored (2), hits (3), doubles (1), home runs (1), and RBI (3)
• Ended the season with 36 hits, 13 of which were extra base hits
• Finished 2024 with 56 RBI
2023 | SOPHOMORE
2023 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honoree
Academic All-Big Ten
• Had 37 appearances and 15 starts
• Recorded a season high two hits at Ohio State (April 29)
• One of five Gophers to record a 1.000 fielding percentage
• Scored two runs, a season high, at Michigan State (April 14)
2022 | FRESHMAN
• Made 13 total appearances in her first college season with the Gophers
• Posted seven plate appearances and had two hits with three walks for a .714 on-base percentage
• Registered a .500 batting average and a 1.250 slugging percentage
• Tallied her first collegiate hit via a solo home run at Texas (Mar. 12) as a pinch hitter
• Drew a walk in the NCAA Norman Regional against Prairie View A&M (May 21) and added a second walk in the same game with the bases loaded
• Scored two runs and had two RBI for the year
• Stepped up as a pitcher nine times posting a 1-1 record and a 5.68 earned run average across 12.1 innings
• Recorded the first pitching victory of her collegiate career Apr. 13 against South Dakota State
• Made her Minnesota debut Feb. 17 tossing 1.1 innings at nationally-ranked Arizona State
• Struck out two batters in her first outing versus the Sun Devils totaling four for the season
• Pitched a season-high 2.2 innings at home against Maryland (Apr. 24)
HIGH SCHOOL
• Graduate of Scott County High School
• Known as 'Nani', a name with Hawaiian origin
• Named a high school All-American by Extra Innings Softball by holding a batting average of .526 with 31 home runs and 124 RBI during her prep career
• She also threw a no-hitter during her sophomore campaign and was an All-State selection in 2019 and 2021.
• She helped her high school team win two state championships and was a finalist for the prestigious Ms. Softball award in the state of Kentucky in 2020.
• In her final season in high school she was a member of the All-Region Tournament Team, an East/West All-Star and won the East/West All-Star Mark O'Brien Spirit of Competition Award.
• Was a member of her high school's honor roll all four years and graduated Magna Cum Laude.
• She was a First Team All-State Academic Team member and was a United Nations Activist for the Kentucky United Nations Assembly (KUNA).
• Made the SEFL Fall Championship All-Tournament Team and the SEFL All-Star Team.
PERSONAL
• The daughter of Melissa and Ruben Valencia, Nani has two siblings in Princess and Luke.
• Her older sister Princess currently plays softball at Kentucky.
• Valencia plans to major in Kinesiology or Biology at the University of Minnesota.
• Chose the University of Minnesota because "I loved absolutely everything about [Minnesota]. From the moment I started to chat with the coaches they made me feel like family. Then once I stepped foot on such a beautiful campus, I knew this was home. I also love the competitive spirit within all the sports played at Minnesota, especially with the softball program."
Minnesota (4) - Michigan (0) Highlights
Friday, May 02
Sydney Schwartz Throws No-Hitter
Tuesday, April 29
Gophers (8) - North Dakota (0) Highlights
Sunday, April 27
Gophers (5) - North Dakota (3) Highlights
Saturday, April 26
