Lady Flames Softball Player Rachel Roupe Details Journey To Liberty

From small town roots to competing in the national spotlight, Rachel Roupe has had a stand-out career as a softball player. Spring 2025 marks her senior season as a prominent outfielder and dominant hitter for the Lady Flames.  

Her softball journey began when she was just four years old playing T-ball for a local Little League Baseball team. Roupe’s father, Jim Roupe, then decided with a group of friends to form a Little League Softball team in their small town when she six years old. 

From there, Roupe never stopped playing softball. She played on a regional travel team, a branch of Stars National based out of North Carolina, where her travel coach, Philip Belfield, greatly supported her recruiting process and helped her prepare for competing at a collegiate level.  

Roupe was recruited by Liberty University as a pitcher during her freshman year of high school. She stepped into an outfielder position only because she grappled with shoulder pain and bicep tendonitis during her freshman year at Liberty. To avoid dealing with further pain, Roupe was given the option to hit and play outfield, a position she had learned throughout her high school career. Ever since, she has found her home in right field, starting there for nearly every game during her time as a Lady Flame. 

Roupe chose to pursue her college career at Liberty because she knew the softball program would allow her to play competitive teams as well as compete for championships. She also said she sought a college that would allow her to grow. 

“I chose Liberty because I knew that I was gonna grow as a person, as a Christian, as a woman outside of softball,” Roupe said. “And also my coaches, their resumes and who they are as people … I knew that it was gonna be a great place for me to excel athletically.” 

Roupe has found impactful mentors during her time at Liberty. Assistant Coach Sami Fagan, a former professional athlete, has made a lasting impact on Roupe’s time as a Lady Flame. 

“(Fagan) helps me with hitting, she helps me with outfield and we spend the majority of our day together, and she just has developed me into a player that I never thought my college career could be,” Roupe said. “All my coaches here, in general, are just amazing, like Dot (Richardson), her energy, who she is.” 

Off the field, Roupe finds inspiration from her family, who has supported her throughout her entire career. Her parents’ continued encouragement, along with support from her extended family, made it possible for her to be where she is today as a collegiate softball player.  

“They’re just some of my biggest fans,” Roupe said. “My parents obviously are my biggest fans, but it goes to my grandparents, my cousins, my aunts and uncles, all of them. They just support me and all I do with softball. Just that love and that knowing that it’s way bigger than a game and that they don’t just look at me as a softball player as well helps me keep going.” 

Roupe comes from a family of athletes with cousins Colton Bare and Matt Roupe, former baseball players at University of Maryland, Baltimore County and North Carolina State respectively, as well as cousin Luke Roupe who is committed to play baseball at the University of South Carolina as a pitcher.  

Roupe also wears the number 15, which was her father’s jersey number when he played baseball and football. When she first found out her father’s number from an old picture, she had no idea that they shared the same number. Now, she continues to wear it to honor the family tradition.  

Roupe has experienced a few historical moments with her teammates throughout her career at Liberty. She helped lead the Lady Flames to a Conference USA championship in 2024. Roupe has also made three straight appearances with the Lady Flames in the NCAA Tournament. 

“We’ve all built each other up, and we play for one another,” Roupe said. “We’re just growing a sisterhood, and we’re super close, and we have a strong chemistry.” 

Her most memorable moment in her college career is when the Lady Flames eliminated No. 2 University of California, Los Angeles Bruins May 20, 2023 during the Los Angeles regional of the NCAA Tournament. The low-scoring game was a nailbiter throughout all seven innings. Roupe played a pivotal role in this 2-1 victory as she scored both of the Lady Flames’ runs. 

“That was my favorite day in my life with softball,” Roupe said. “… It felt like I was living in a dream, and so it was just so much fun.” 

Despite her extensive softball career, Roupe says the biggest takeaway from her time at Liberty comes from Richardson and is something that she will carry with her for the rest of her life.  

“Dot has engraved this into my head,” Roupe said. “It’s not about being perfect. It’s about having the pursuit of perfection and just knowing that you can give your all every day and you’re still gonna fall short of perfection. … Every day I show up, and I give it my best, but I’m not ever going to be perfect, and I can’t let that determine how I view myself or my worth.” 

As for her pursuits at Liberty aside from softball, Roupe is earning a public health pre-clinical degree and plans to take a gap year to work before pursuing a physician assistant program.  

Wachowiak is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.