Week after week, the student-athletes of Morgan State University continue to excel, not only in competition but also in the classroom and beyond. The 'Beneath the Surface Spotlight' provides a glimpse into the lives of these extraordinary student-athletes, revealing the human stories behind their athletic achievements. These individuals are not only exceptional athletes but also outstanding scholars, leaders, and role models for generations to come. 

Amber Rivas
Softball
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: West Hills, Calif. 
Major: Health Education

Morgan State softball player Amber Rivas wrapped up what was a successful rookie season in 2024. The former catcher turned outfielder would become just the third player in program history to be named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Rookie of the Year, while helping the Lady Bears to a school record 35 wins and claim their second MEAC Softball championship and NCAA Regional appearance.
 
Rivas was the only Lady Bear to appear in all 55 games for Morgan State and collected a .311 batting average. In 180 at-bats, Rivas registered 38 runs on 56 hits with 12 doubles, three triples and 17 runs batted in. Rivas tagged 74 total bases, stealing 17 and walking 13 times. She concluded the season with a .411 slugging percentage and a .361 on-base percentage. 
 
During Morgan State's regular season ESPNU contest at Norfolk State (4/13), Rivas nearly hit for the cycle, falling a homerun short in the series opener against the Spartans. The West Hills, Calif., native finished 3-for-3 with a single, double and triple, two runs and 2 RBI in the win over Norfolk State.
 
In Game 2 of the MEAC title finale against rival Coppin State, Rivas went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a run scored, as Morgan State completed the two-game sweep of the Eagles to win the 2024 crown.
 
Morgan State would head to the Durham Region of the NCAA Tournament, where it faced seventh-ranked and No. 10 seed, Duke in the opening round. The Lady Bears would fall to the host Blue Devils, 6-1 and then lost a heartbreaker to Utah, 1-0 in the elimination game.
 
Rivas and the Lady Bears will look to capture the program's fifth straight MEAC regular season title and defend their MEAC championship in 2025.

 
Student Life

• What is the best time of year on campus? Spring! It's softball season!
   
• What is your major and why did you choose it? Health Education - Pre Physical Therapy Track. I chose this major because I hope to one day work with a college or professional sports team. What has been your favorite or most interesting class at MSU?  My second semester English class with Ms. Madramootoo. 
   
• If you had to give an incoming student advice, what would it be?  Do your best to prioritize and manage your time. If you're an athlete, schedule your harder classes/labs in the off-season.  
   
• Describe your first day as a student at Morgan State?  Honestly, it was a terrible first day. I was still learning where everything was. But I did my best to make the most of it. 
   
• What do you like most about Morgan State?  The "athletic" community. We are all pretty supportive of each other. 

Pop Culture

• What is your favorite social media?  Instagram
   
• Would you rather read the book or watch the movie?  Watch the movie
   
• Favorite TV show?  The Vampire Diaries
   
• Favorite book or magazine?  Crazy Rich Asians
   
• Do you have a favorite celebrity?  Mookie Betts
   
• Favorite music artist?  Bruno Mars
   
• Favorite childhood cartoon character?  Frankie Stein - Monster High
   
  
  
   
• What is the most interesting place you've visited?  Alaska
   
• Where would you like to visit?  Europe as a whole.
   
• Favorite home-cooked meal? Spaghetti and Meatballs!
   
• Favorite breakfast cereal as a kid?  Cinnamon Toast Crunch and I still love it as an adult!

Sports

• When did you start softball?  I started playing softball at 12 years old. But I played baseball from 9-12 years old. 
   
• Which team do you most look forward to competing against?  In our conference, Howard. But overall, I would love to head to my hometown and face UCLA. 
   
• Do you have any pregame superstitions or rituals?  At the beginning of the season, I pick a hairstyle and I have to stick with it the entire season. 
   
• What is your favorite part about playing your sport?  The friends I have made along the way. 
   
• What is your favorite athletic memory?  Winning championships in both high school and college. The feeling never gets old. 
   
• What is your favorite professional sports team? The Los Angeles Dodgers
  
• When you're not at practice, what could someone find you doing?  Sleeping or eating.
   
• What do you most look forward to during this upcoming season?  Heading back to championships and making another run at Regionals. 
   
• My teammates think I am?  Genuine, strong willed, tell it how it is, and a sweet-souled person. 

Miscellaneous 

• If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?  The ability to read peoples' minds or teleportation. 
   
• Do you have an interesting nickname?  Double Double. This is how I became 55. I have an unusual fetish with In-N-Out Burgers. So when I was younger, I would have to hit a double in order to get a Double Double.
   
  
• What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?  I once had a coach who tole me that if I had an issue with something that happened, I should think about it and sleep on it before saying something in anger. 
   
• If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?  To have a little more patience and a little less hard on myself. 
   
• Person you admire the most?  My Mom!
   
• Most prized possession?  My phone.
   
• The hardest thing you've ever done?  Move across the county.
   
• If you could have dinner with 3 people who would they be?  Bruno Mars, Mookie Betts, and my late grandfather.
   
• Your hometown is known for?  In-n-Out, The Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers, Hollywood, Disneyland, approximately 320 days of sunshine, and beaches.
   
  
• Early bird or night owl?  Night owl
   
• Funniest person on the team? Tori
   
• After meeting Coach Hineline, you thought...? Funny story actually, we went for Senior Day 2023, and it started to downpour. We had to walk from the field all the way back to our car in the structure. Coach Hineline saw us on the corner and waived to us and drove off. But really, from our first phone conversation, to attending Morgan, on and off the field, he never gave me any doubt that he did not want me as part of the team. 

Beneath the Surface full list here


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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu