On the Plains: Destiny Rodriguez

Despite an injury that sidelined her for a month and forced her role on the team to change, Destiny Rodriguez made the most of her final season of college softball in an Auburn uniform.

A native of Live Oak, Texas, Rodriguez grew up playing baseball until it became apparent around the age of 11 that she would need to transition to softball.

“I liked baseball more than softball at the time. The boys were tougher. It was harder for me. I realized I couldn’t play baseball anymore because the leagues were going to kid pitch, and everything was different,” Rodriguez said. “My family knew I was going to have to stay in softball.”

The decision to switch to softball helped Rodriguez fall in love with the sport, and she hasn’t looked back since.

“It changed my life, and I’ve loved every second of it. I played on travel ball teams from Texas, and that helped me grow my game throughout my entire career,” she said.

Before transferring to the Plains for her final season, Rodriguez spent three seasons at the University of Tennessee and formed a special bond with Auburn co-head coaches Chris Malveaux and Kate Malveaux, who served as assistant coaches at Tennessee from 2022-24.

“When I got to Tennessee, Chris and I created this friendship on and off the field, and it almost felt like having a dad away from home. Kate does everything she can to fulfill whatever aspirations you have, and I feel it even more now being a little bit older and more experienced,” Rodriguez said. “Chris and I would stay for hours and just hit. Kate would be there to shag balls or toss to me. She was always so selfless throughout my years at Tennessee.”

After graduating from Tennessee in three years, Rodriguez entered the transfer portal ahead of her final season of eligibility and leaned on her relationship with the Malveauxs throughout the process.

“When I entered the portal, there were schools that reached out that I didn’t think were going to be interested. That made the process a bit harder. I always knew where my heart was, and that was with Chris and Kate,” she said. “I felt like if I chose another school, I wouldn’t have been able to be myself throughout the entire year or fully dive into a program.”

Rodriguez chose Auburn out of the transfer portal and embraced the opportunity from the moment she arrived on campus.

“The decision to come to Auburn was mainly for Chris and Kate, but then I fell in love with Auburn,” she said. “It was a lot of fun to experience the football and basketball games and all the extra things Auburn brings.”

Rodriguez had a strong start to her season senior season and was the unquestioned leader in the infield, but an injury on March 14 at Oklahoma forced her out of the lineup. That didn’t stopped her from making an impact in a different role.

“My teammates worried about me and cared for me during that time,” Rodriguez said. “It then became about what I can do for them while they’re playing. My role changed from being a leader on the field to taking a step back and understanding the human side of it and the emotions that come with playing this sport.”

“I feel like my role on the team is still being the leader that I am but also making sure I check in with people individually and making sure everyone stays on the same page.”

Rodriguez returned to the field as Auburn’s starting designated player on April 17 at Florida and was able to play the final 13 games of her senior season, including Auburn’s heroic run to the quarterfinals at the 2026 SEC Softball Tournament. Rodriguez was rewarded on her Senior Day with her first base hit since her injury. It was the 100^th hit of her collegiate career.

Working towards her master’s degree in adult education, Rodriguez will return to the program next season as a graduate assistant as she plans to pursue coaching opportunities after her tenure on the Plains.

“I have learned so much from Chris and Kate since I was 18.  I’m still learning more from them every day. There’s no better place to do it,” she said. “They are setting a foundation here at Auburn. With it only being their second year on the Plains, I really want to follow what they do, learn how they do things and see how they operate.”

When reflecting on the lessons she has learned throughout her softball journey, Rodriguez offered this perspective.

“Never take anything for granted. I know it’s cliche, but you don’t realize it until it happens to you,” she said. “I’ve learned to live in the moment because you truly don’t know when that last pitch will be.”