Jocelyn Alo is the best HR hitter and she doesn't hide from the title

Jocelyn Alo doesn't mince words. She wants to compete, she wants to win and she wants to dominate. Her career accolades all back that up: The Hawaiian native won two Women's College World Series titles with the Oklahoma Sooners and is the all-time NCAA home run leader among men and women with 122 home runs. She knows she's the best when she steps into the box and she doesn't hide from that fact.

"I wanted to win a natty more than breaking the [home run] record," Alo said, "Seeing how attainable the record was -- I mean, honestly, it was not really attainable, it was a hard chase for sure -- but I knew if anybody was gonna do it, it was going to be me."

A consummate competitor with a deep love for the sport, Alo's biggest struggle during the final weeks chasing the mark wasn't the pressure on her. It was that no one wanted to challenge her at the plate.

After tying Lauren Chamberlain's then-record in Houston, she went on a nearly two-week dry spell before finally setting the mark while -- fittingly enough -- playing in Hawaii.

"It just dawned on me, like, 'Why is nobody competing?'" Alo asked. "It's not a bad side of history if you give [up the record-breaking home run.] Like, be for real. I was just so surprised that nobody wanted to compete against the best. As a competitor and as the top hitter, I want to face the best pitcher. And even if I'm not the best pitcher, I want to know that I can get out the best hitter, so I'm going to go out there [and compete]."

Alo is funny and kind away from the field, but absolutely locked in when she's on it. Her comments don't feel cocky or braggadocious, either: They're simply factual statements, said the same way a teacher might explain a simple concept in school. So, when she was asked who the best home run hitter all-time was in either softball or baseball, her answer wasn't a surprise:

"OK, in softball, honestly, it's me. I've got the title for a reason," Alo said recently while competing in HRDX where she also holds the record for the longest home run hit in the tournament's history. "Baseball, I've got to go with my man Barry Bonds. I've always looked up to him and I love watching his highlights whenever I'm in a slump."

Alo has been the best hitter wherever she's gone and whenever she's taken the field -- ever since she begged her father, Levi, to let her follow in her older sister's steps and start playing T-ball at 5 years old.

"Dad, I want to play! I want to play!" Alo begged.

"Stop crying," he responded. "If you want to go and hit, I'll take you to the park."

From then on, the schedule was set. The first steps toward softball greatness had begun.

"Every night after that, we're at the park. We were hitting so many balls," Alo remembered, a smile creeping across her face.

At her first practice as a 10-year-old with the Park Rats -- a boys baseball team in Hawaii -- she left jaws dropped.

"I remember I just busted out my Easton Omen that day. It was a brand new bat. And my first at-bat, I go center field, bomb off the guy, [flies] outside of the park," Alo said. "All the guys were just like, 'Whoa! Whoa! She hit it out! A girl hit it out!'"

Her next at-bat was more of the same, this time blasting it over the left-field fence and outside the facility.

"They're like, 'What?! She hit it out again!" Alo recalled with a smile. "I think that's when I knew I was really good."

Despite her overabundance of talent, destroying any pitcher who dared face her, and even with support from her teammates, Alo still felt like an outsider. As the only girl on all-boys teams, she simply had no one that knew what she was going through or that she could relate with.

"Once we hit, like, 12, 13, 14, I was really tired of being around the guys. They're all going through puberty and stuff, and guys are just gross," Alo joked. "So, I told my dad I wanted to try softball out, and I really liked it."

Fortunately, Levi recognized Alo's talent. He devoted even more time and attention to ensuring that his daughter had the opportunities necessary for development. Each summer, the two would fly from Hawaii to Northern California, where Alo's grandparents live. They would then borrow their car and make the six-hour drive to Southern California to rent an apartment near the facilities and fields where Alo would play and train until she returned home for school in the fall.

"We had no furniture in there. We literally slept on air mattresses and we had folding chairs," Alo said. " We had one pot, one pan. I swear we lived off of spam and rice. But I loved my life, it was great. When I say it out loud, it's crazy to think about, but my dad just knew the sacrifice he had to make. I'm forever grateful for it because it has put me into this position where I'm at now. I always wanted to play softball, and I always wanted to pay it back to my dad, and now I'm in that position where I can."

It's these sacrifices that grounded Alo. Despite her records and national championships, despite the accolades and attention, there's one thing she's most proud of:

"Breaking the record in Hawaii was great. Capping it off with two national championships was great. But I think the biggest thing that I got out of this whole experience was my name on a degree -- and my parents never had to pay a cent for it," Alo said.

Alo's summer has been a whirlwind. Beyond playing in HRDX, she wrapped up her second season with the independent softball team, the Oklahoma City Spark, and starred for media sensations, the Savannah Bananas. When she wraps up her time with Home Run Derby X after Nashville, she'll then lead a camp for young girls back in Hawaii before she finally gets a chance for some rest and relaxation this winter. (She's very excited to work on her off-the-field passion: Baking and cooking once she finally has some time to devote to it.)

She takes none of this for granted -- whether it's time on the field or seeing fans -- young and old, boys and girls -- lining up for her autograph or wearing a shirt with her name on the back.

"It's really surreal. I just think of myself as a normal person that just happens to be really good at their respective sport," Alo said. "To be in a role model position is super, super cool. I'm grateful that people look up to me and that they've given me that platform. It just makes me want to be a better human at the end of the day, too."

She now shares three rules with young girls who are interested in following in her footsteps.

"I tell anybody, one, make sure that you take care of your school, because you will never get anywhere without an education, and college coaches are looking to make sure that you have good grades," Alo said. "Two, always think be thankful for your family, because they put you in the best positions possible, and they put aside a lot of money for you. Just be grateful for them. I hate when I hear little kids back talking to their parents. I'm like, 'Dude, you don't even know the sacrifices they make for you.'"

Her third rule is one she has followed to the letter:

"I think my biggest thing, third, is don't be anything more than just yourself," Alo said. "You have got this far because of yourself."