Rachel Baker, a 2019 infielder for Tennessee Fury Premier, reflects on her softball career leading up to her commitment to Mercer. She shares her entire softball journey with FloSoftball.

Create Your Own Road Map

My first season of ball was on an "all boys team" playing baseball. Over the next several years, I played rec ball at the local park in my neighborhood. I discovered how much I enjoyed being on the field, not just during games but literally every chance I got. I loved getting dirty, diving from left to right for grounders, and most of all, l loved the competitive nature of the game. I loved being with other girls who loved softball too.

I had no idea that there was a "next level" (travel ball). I just knew I wanted to spend every minute away from school at the ball park playing softball!

But as much as I loved playing rec ball and being selected for All Stars each year and being asked to "play up" an age group, I began to notice that I always wanted more. I craved competition and the desire to be with players who wanted more too.

I wanted someone to push me, to get every ounce of skill and talent out of me.

At 9, I was asked to try out for a local travel team. My parents and I knew nothing about this world, but after making my first travel ball team and playing my first travel ball season, I was hooked.

Coaching expectations were greater. Practices were more focused on position work and repetition.

From that season on, I have played travel ball almost every single weekend year-round and continue to love every minute of it!

At 14U, I noticed that girls my own age were playing in large showcase tournaments all over the United States. I quickly learned how important it was for me to be on a team where the organization, the coaches, and the players were all moving in the same direction. I began to realize that all the hours of practice and my love for high competition and the game prepared me to play on a team at this level.

My first high-level showcase experience came this spring and summer season while playing for the Birmingham Thunderbolts '01 (DB). This is a great example of how an organization can help you in learning the dos and don'ts of recruiting. My team played in six showcases that had a huge college coach turnout.



To look up in the stands and see a coach with the logo of a school that I had written and invited, those moments meant so much to me. I dreamed of playing DI college ball since I was 7.

Seeing those coaches, it makes you want to work even harder just to show them you appreciate them and their interest in you. They could be at any field, but they chose to be at ours, so I always made sure I showed them the best that I had. It was during the 2015 spring/summer season that I realized that coaches were expressing interest in me to my coach and that I really could play at the college level.

Finding the Right Fit

It is so important for players to find the right fit. Mercer coach Stephanie DeFeo is my future college coach, and I couldn't be more proud and excited! I think she came to watch me play about 6-8 games that season.

Whenever I invited her, Coach DeFeo or her assistant came to the field. I learned that no matter what your stats are in high school ball or in travel ball, coaches need to see you play against the best talent, because you'll be playing against some of these same players again in college.

Per NCAA regulations, I knew that Coach DeFeo could not contact me, but I could send her notes of my interest. I sent videos, pictures, and shared with her through email my accomplishments at school, particularly in the classroom. I sent her a note the night I was inducted in the National Honor Society at my high school and was voted SGA sophomore class VP. It was a very odd feeling that I never received a response back, but I just knew she was reading them. If she remained interested in me, she would continue to come watch me. And when I invited her, she did!

That season, the harder I worked and played on the field amounted to more college coaches showing up to my games. My coach kept assuring me I was "ahead of the game" in recruiting. That fueled me to keep working not only on the field but also in school and to keep writing coaches and believing in myself.

By the end of the season, three colleges invited me (through my travel ball coach) to their fall prospect camps. This is typically after you finish a season and college coaches want to see you on campus at their camps to further evaluate you and to get to know you better as well.

Over the years, I attended several softball camps at colleges, but this time it felt different. I was invited to come because of what they saw in me during games! I left these camps with an interest in two of the schools and their softball programs.

Following the camps, my travel ball coach received a call from them expressing an interest in me visiting their schools for unofficial visits. During my visit at Mercer, I received a scholarship offer to play softball. The day had finally come. I was offered the opportunity to earn my degree and accept the awesome responsibility of becoming an NCAA Division I student athlete! I was offered the opportunity to commit to several other schools, but after my unofficial visit to Mercer, I knew where I wanted to be!

After thinking through my options and talking it over with my awesome parents and coaches and after several weeks of thinking and praying about my decision, I knew my future college home was with Coach DeFeo and coach Heather Han at Mercer University.

I called Coach DeFeo one Saturday night about 8 PM to tell her my decision. After we talked through a few of my questions, I hung up the phone and began dancing around the room with several of my high school friends and my parents! I never regretted my decision one day. Mercer is where I know I want to be.

In making my decision, I focused on my personal goals and my own personal criteria. For me, it was academics first, location, the coach, the program, the coach's commitment to my personal, academic and athletic growth, and finally, my love for the college, even if I were not able to play softball anymore. I believe this is one of the first important decisions you will make in your lifetime, for it will impact who you meet and the coaches and players that you will spend these important years with as well as your degree and future job.

Attitude of Gratitude

I often reflect on playing rec ball, then 10U, 12U, and 14U. I think about hours of practice I've put in and the friendships I've made. All of the time I spent on softball prepared me for my dream of playing DI college softball. It's about the little things.

My coaches said, "I believe in you Rachel" and pushed me to get better and challenged me to put in the extra work, because they knew I had what it took to play at the next level. There are so, so many of those people who will come in to your life on this long journey. Remember each person is important and a very big part of the player and person you will become on and off the field.

I wouldn't be living my dream if it weren't for my parents. Without their love for me and willingness to give time, money, and love to me to support my dreams and enable me to play the game I love, none of this would be possible.

I recently ran into an umpire who called many of my games at that local rec ball park in Alabama. I shared with him my exciting news about being recruited to play softball at Mercer University, and he just waited until I was finished and smiled back and said, "Scrappy, I'm not at all surprised! All the umpires used to sit around between games and sometimes talked about the games they had called and some of the plays that were made. I knew a long time ago when I first saw you play that you just had it. We could tell the good ones right away!" Scrappy was my nickname at the rec ball park! Haha!

So my advice to all players who desire to play "at the next level," whether that's rec ball, travel ball, or college ball, remember to enjoy the ride, stay humble, and always thank others. No one achieves anything without a lot of help along the way. And, no matter what you achieve in the sport, always remain coachable; you're always working on "the next level!" Just because I have committed to play college ball, I know the real work is just beginning!

Special thanks to my parents, and many, many coaches -- Coach Clark, Coach Tim, Coach Maxie, Coach Deb, Coach Web, Coach Roy, Coach Taylor, Coach Joe, Coach Marc, and Coach Keith and all the awesome girls (and boys my first year of ball) that I have played with through the years!

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