When Sacramento State softball head coach Lori Perez first saw her senior outfielder Lafulafu Malepeai in person, she didn’t need a stat sheet to recognize her talent.

Opposing teams made the message loud and clear.

“I got a chance to watch her play during her state championship tournament and they didn’t even want to throw to her,” Perez said.

Even in a game where she was intentionally walked multiple times, a respect that can’t be measured in box scores, her impact was felt as she slid down the left field line and zipped a throw to second, showcasing the two-way ability that Perez says separates the good players from the great ones.

“Sometimes you have people who can hit the ball but maybe don’t play defense,” Perez said. “She had [both] and you’re attracted to that as a coach because speed, power and explosiveness is kind of hard to ignore.”

Malepeai on the field, or also known as “Lafu,” is earning her place in the Sac State record books. Her 15 home runs this season are nearing the single-season record of 18 set by Suzy Brookshire in 2018. Her on-base percentage, a stat that measures how often a player reaches a base, currently sits at .519, marking another school record.

The stats have to speak for themselves because Malepeai keeps quiet about them.

“I genuinely don’t care where I’m at in the lineup,” Malepeai said. “I want nine girls who are going to get the job done, and if I’m not one of them then somebody else needs to step into that spot.”

That chip on her shoulder is something she wears like a badge of honor, and Malepeai is not one to shy away from the work. This is a trait that was forged during her time at the College of San Mateo.

“It taught me to embrace all parts of the game, the good, the bad, the ugly,” Malepeai said. “It gave me a different level of appreciation for what I have now. At my old school, you make the most of what’s there. You make the most of your moment.”

Malepeai led CSM to its first-ever state title in 2022, while also winning the State Tournament MVP. She also was the 2022 California Community College Athletic Association’s (CCCAA) Women’s Athlete of the Year, and the 2023 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Player of the Year.

Success at one level didn’t guarantee anything at Sac State, and Malepaei said the transition took time.

“There’s stuff that I can’t get away with here that I did at JUCO,” Malepeai said. “The speed of a pitcher, how much they move their ball. I feel like that consistency is a huge difference between junior college and division one.”

Just as she began to find her footing, she was hit with a diagnosis out of her control. Something she could have never seen coming.

Malepeai was diagnosed with membranous nephropathy, a rare kidney disease that affects roughly 12 people per one million in the United States, according to the National Library of Medicine. 

The impact of membranous nephropathy on an athlete was so unknown that the doctors could not give her a definitive path forward, Malepeai said.

“She was recommended to stop playing because of just not knowing the health diagnosis,” Perez said. “I remember seeing her emotions and just telling her, ‘This is a recommendation, let’s digest it, and we can play it out.’”

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With no clear timeline and no guaranteed return, Malepeai was forced to step away from the game that she used as her escape. She credits her faith, family, coaches and a sports psychologist for helping her navigate through a tough period.

“It’s one thing to sit out with an injury you know how to fix,” Malepeai said. “But it’s another to have no control over something internal.”

Malapeai’s mindset, much like her game, stayed grounded through the process. That same steadiness followed her into the batters box. 

“I’ll try to have a clear mindset,” Malepeai said. “But depending on the situation I’ll play out what needs to be done in order for us to score.”

Her clarity comes from her high level of appreciation. One that she got from staring down at the end of her career. 

“Last year was supposed to be my last year. I did senior day and everything,” Malepeai said. “But you don’t know what it’s like when you’re done.”

Associate head coach Vicky Rios agreed and said she couldn’t imagine not having her on the team.

“That was fantastic, that was the greatest news,” Rios said. “She’s that kind of impact player. You look for players that want to put their team on their shoulders and she has no problem being that person.”

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With eligibility left, and a season that ended in second place and a tournament exit, Malepeai decided on the last play of the season that she couldn’t go out yet. 

Now in her return, she’s taken on a different role, being named the “auntie” of the group, something she’s embraced

“Now if I steal a bag it’s not ‘Woo-yeahh,’” Malepeai said. “Its ‘Ooh, granny made it.’”

As for what her goals are this season, she didn’t need long to think about it.

“I want a ring,” Malepeai said. “I want a ring really badly.”

Beyond the season, Malepaei’s storied softball career may be taking on another chapter. She was invited to try out for the American Samoa national softball team, an accolade she didn’t even share with her coach.

“Yeah, I don’t like saying stuff until it’s like, official,” Malepeai said.

For Malepeai, the game has always spoken for itself.