Freshman Joreigh Landers makes three when counting NIU softball players from Oregon.

After a short 2,100-mile trip to DeKalb, she joins Kate Greenough and Taryn Hagemann to round out NIU’s pitching staff. Landers was named most valuable player of her area during both her junior and senior seasons. As a senior, she tallied 16 wins with a 1.16 ERA.

The freshman took some time out after weight training to catch up with the Northern Star and talk about her hometown, team names and the band Hanson.

NORTHERN STAR: What do you miss most about your home town Vernonia?

JOREIGH LANDERS: I miss how small it is. It only had like 2,500 people in it, so coming here it is really huge.

NS: What is there to do in a town that small?

JL: Not a whole lot. You actually have to drive like 45 minutes just to see a movie, so going out of town is basically an all-day trip.

NS: What about when there aren’t any good movies playing?

JL: Sometime we just cruise around town for hours. Good times.

NS: Kate Greenough and Bailey Ouellette are both from Oregon also; did you know either of them from there?

JL: I played with Kate for the last four years; she played on my summer ball team. Bailey was two years older, and I knew of her but I never played against her.

NS: Did Kate play any part in you coming here?

JL: Yeah, I would say so. And I loved how the team was. But just knowing there were two girls from Oregon here that could help with my transition was important.

NS: Your high school team name was the Loggers because Vernonia is a big logging town. What would you change the Huskies name to if you could?

JL: Probably something to do with corn.

NS: Were you prepared for all the corn out here?

JL: I heard about it, but I remember when I first got here I was like “cornfield, cornfield, cornfield.”

NS: Portland is known for being a great music city, have you seen any good concerts around there?

JL: Um, when I was younger I went to a few Hanson concerts (laughs).

NS: So … how was it?

JL: I loved it (laughs). I actually bought their new CD and it’s awesome.

NS: Does anyone on the team give you a hard time about that?

JL: Yeah…

NS: Well, I don’t know where to go from there, so thanks for your time.