The562’s coverage of Millikan Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Brian Ramsey and TLD Law.
If you had told Riley McAndrew last year that she would be Millikan’s ace in 2026, the then-starting second baseman would have laughed. If you had even told her a month before the season began, she still might not have believed you.
And yet, the senior George Washington commit has done more than just hold down the circle for the Rams, she is dominating it. McAndrew is currently sporting a season ERA of 0.47 across nine games, according to MaxPreps, going the distance for Millikan multiple times while racking up strikeouts.
“I knew I was going to throw more than I had previous years, but I wasn’t really expecting a starting position pitching,” McAndrew said. “But, we needed someone to step up, so I stepped up. I just started throwing, and I threw pretty well, so now I’m here.”
Millikan Head Coach Michelle Lehr said even a month before season, she wasn’t sure who her go-to pitcher would be. But at the end of the day, it all came down to production – and McAndrew was producing.
“Riley just proved herself,” Lehr said. “She proved it metrically and won the spot. Anything could change, we need to make sure that we have the best arm in the circle, but production-wise, Riley won it.”
After transitioning from being the Rams starting second baseman to their starting pitcher as well as posing as an offensive threat in the lineup, McAndrew has become a three-way player in her senior year. The shift on the diamond proves McAndrew’s versatility – a key trait that has supported her throughout her career at Millikan.
“She knows how to handle the pressure and the failures,” Lehr said. “Her maturity and her experience being in that setting would help our team, would help guide us in the circle and help us be successful.”
McAndrew plays for USA Athletics as her travel team. While many fans watching McAndrew dominate in the circle must assume she pitches outside of Millikan, that isn’t the case. In fact, McAndrew said she hasn’t pitched in two years.
“I just want to compete,” McAndrew said. “Whatever that looks like, I am going to do it.”
After spending the past two years focusing on hitting and fielding, McAndrew now had to carve out time to pitching as well. While McAndrew said her offensive power was slightly affected by the transition to the circle, her pitching remained steady, helping her maintain that starting spot.
Even though her pitching seemed to be working, McAndrew said she was getting frustrated at the offensive struggles she encountered as a result. The senior said she found herself thinking more – and sometimes thinking too much. When she stepped in the box to hit, McAndrew would be thinking about the hitters she would face when she was back in the circle.
Although McAndrew said this new hurdle was frustrating to navigate around, she grounded herself in her primary goal: producing. Whatever she could do for her team, she was going to do it – especially if that meant they won in the process.
“I try to give myself a little grace,” McAndrew said. “I know this isn’t my primary spot, but I know that I just have to do the best I can. I have to do my job for my team, whether that’s in the circle or on the field or in the box.”
Sometimes, McAndrew’s grounding is simply just reminding herself of how far she’s come in the game she loves. She takes it easy on herself as she focuses on graduating and going on to play DI ball at George Washington, but she remembers the roots she planted in softball that have brought her here.
“I started pitching in rec ball, because back then, pretty much everyone was either a pitcher or a catcher,” McAndrew said. “Now, it all feels full circle. I’ve always just gone along and figured everything out on the way, so that’s been fun.”
Now with the ease of committing behind her, McAndrew can focus on having fun for the rest of her senior year. For the senior, fun means winning – and she’s willing to do anything she can to get there.
When the Rams faced off with Redondo Union, McAndrew pitched all seven innings in a complete-game no-hitter performance. This game was one of Riley’s favorite memories and one that she said will always stick out to her.
Looking toward the future, specifically Millikan’s big Moore League showdown with Long Beach Poly on March 31, McAndrew wants to keep the good times going. Beyond league play, Riley said she wants her team to make a deep playoff run – a dream of hers to go out on top in her senior year.
Even with her focus on success, McAndrew said she is the most excited to finish out her final year with her best friends.
“We have nine seniors who are also some of my best friends,” McAndrew said. “I think we’re really just trying to play for each other and go out on a high.”
