“Jury Duty” is a weekly column that spotlights different Brandeis student-athletes. Please email sports@thejustice.org if you would like to nominate someone. We hope to bridge the gap between student-athletes and non student-athletes by highlighting relatable content to make the community feel more approachable. If you see a highlighted athlete around campus, introduce yourself! Or head to Gosman and cheer them on.

Isabella (Bells) Burdenski ’26, is a sophomore on the Brandeis softball team who has been on an offensive streak for the Judges. This weekend, the Brandeis softball team competed in their first University Athletic Association Conference match-up against Washington University in St. Louis with a game on Friday, a doubleheader on Saturday and another game on Sunday.

After the team’s center fielder and leadoff hitter had to retire from the game due to an ankle injury in Friday’s game, Burdenski moved over to center field from left field and stepped up to hit leadoff. During the second game of the doubleheader, Burdenski hit twice in the first inning of the day, allowing the team to score the final point for Brandeis, ending the frame 6-5. In the third inning, she hit and scored a point for the Judges, widening the gap between the two teams and securing the win for Brandeis. By the end of the second game on Saturday, Burdenski racked up five hits — the first Judge to do so in over 20 years, and she went 5-5 with two RBIs and scored a run herself. A spirited team leader, Burdenski serves as an example for her teammates on and off the field. One of the team’s favorite mottos is to stay “gritty” or tough, and she truly emulated this integrity this past weekend.

Off the field, Burdenski is a die-hard San Diego Padres fan and enjoys chocolate ice cream and spending time on Chapels Field. She is majoring in business and minoring in Hispanic studies with an interest in sports, writing and marketing. She loves listening to indie and pop music from artists such as the Arctic Monkeys, Olivia Rodrigo, Spacey Jane, Hippocampus, Cage the Elephant and Tate McRae. Head on over to Marcus Field to cheer on Burdenski and the rest of the softball team in their next home matchup when they take on the Emory University Eagles on Friday, April 6 at 3:00 p.m!

Editor's Note: Sports editor Rani Balakrishna ’25 is a member of the Brandeis softball team and did not contribute to any part of this article.