Don’t know how your weekend was last Saturday and Sunday, but it probably wasn’t as eventful as that of today’s spotlight athlete!

After a month of picturing herself in her favorite university’s uniform, she made the fateful call to let her future head coach know she was pulling the trigger and committing to this East Coast school…

Name: BRENNA SMITH
Grad Year: 2018
Pos: pitcher/first Base
High School: Martin Luther King (Riverside, Calif.)
GPA: 3.5
Club: Corona Angels – Tyson
Club Stats: Fall 2014 – 1.34 ERA with a WHIP of 1.09, allowed only 15 earned runs all fall; 2015 – 1.40 ERA with a WHIP of 0.70
Honors: Played on the Corona Angels – Tyson 14U team that won PGF Nationals last summer.
College: Georgia Tech
Height: 5-9

***

FullCountSoftball.com: So we hear you had an eventful weekend committing to Georgia Tech… tell us how that came to be (you making it official)?
Brenna Smith: Actually, since January of this year, I have been visiting universities that have expressed interest in me. My focus was to see if the university would be a good fit for me personally and if it offered the degree that I want to major in. After visiting all of the schools, I took about two weeks to discuss important topics regarding each school with my family and my coaches. As I compared each school’s qualities, my heart kept coming back to Georgia Tech. So, after speaking with (Corona Angles) Coach (Marty Tyson) at this Sunday’s practice, I knew exactly where I wanted to attend college. That’s when I called Head Coach (Shelly) Hoerner and committed to becoming a Yellow Jacket.

FCS.com: How did the Tech coaches first learn about you and were you aware they were following you?
BS: I was first aware of Georgia Tech in early October of 2014 when I was playing in an 18U showcase in Huntington Beach. I noticed them at our first game and again at the second game that I was pitching in. After learning that Georgia Tech showed interest in me, I began developing a relationship with Coach (Charlotte) Morgan, the pitching coach, and Coach Hoerner.

FCS.com: What factors led into the decision and why did you commit now versus later?
BS: Many factors went into my decision, such as the high education I would receive, the amazing environment I would be a part of and the location of Georgia Tech. I decided to commit now because I knew this was the school for me. Even after a month from visiting the school I continued to picture myself in a Georgia Tech uniform on a daily basis. It was always on the back of my mind and I knew this is where I wanted to attend college.

FCS.com: How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
BS: I called Coach Hoerner over the phone.

FCS.com: Any concerns about being a California girl going to the East Coast to play?
BS: Absolutely not, I knew when I was looking for a school I wanted to be able to go to somewhere completely new from Southern California. I wanted to be able go somewhere where I would definitely have the full college experience. Atlanta is perfect!

FCS.com: Not asking you to give any secrets away, but what are your pitches and what is your favorite pitch to go to when it’s a full count?
BS: I throw a drop, drop curve, screw, change and rise. My favorite pitch, especially lately, has been to throw a change up on a full count. I feel that it is successful because it is a pitch that most pitchers don’t tend to throw in that situation. I definitely learned to have confidence in it these past few months.

FCS.com: What do you think – or have others said – are your other strengths as a softball player?
BS: I am mentally tough and I don’t get frustrated when I allow a hit or walk a batter. I feel like once it has happened, it is over and my goal is to focus on the next batter coming before me. Dwelling over the past will not help me concentrate and I cannot change the result. So, I take a deep breath, step on the mound and focus on the present.

FCS.com: What’s been a top memory or two for you in your athletic career?
BS: One of the best memories I have was sharing the win of a National Championship with my team. So much preparation and hard work was put toward that week and it was amazing being able to see what all of our sacrifices throughout the whole year was able to accomplish.

FCS.com: What do you remember most about that championship week last summer?
BS: I remember the look on my teammates faces immediately after we won the championship. We all worked so hard and kept our focus so we could achieve our goal. The reward was celebrating with all those players and realizing we achieved the highest goal for any 14U team that year. Winning a National Championship in any sport is a huge achievement and it was definitely the biggest reward for all of us.

FCS.com: Now that you’re committed, what do you want to do to better yourself as you go through high school and get closer to college?
BS: My ultimate goal was to earn a scholarship and play Division 1 softball. Now, I have new goals for high school, my travel team and what I need to do to become college ready. My new goals that I have set will be met one day at a time through hard work and dedication.

 

Quick Hitters

 

What do you want to major in at Georgia Tech?
Either Biomedical Engineering or Artificial Intelligence.

Fill in the blank… when I think of softball, the first thing that comes to mind is: _____________
The Corona Angels!

What do you think is the No. 1 issue in the world today?
Racism.

Favorite color:
Blue.

Favorite saying/motto:
“I don’t have to, I want to.”
— Kristi DeVries, my first pitching coach.

If I had $1,000 handed to me I’d spend it on…?
Helping my sister with her college tuition.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I love cheesecake!

How would you describe yourself on the field… and off the field?
On the field I’m a very determined and a “in the zone” type of person. Off the field, I’m just happy and embracing life.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one thing with you, what would it be?
I would bring a boat!

Do you have any softball superstitions or rituals?
Way too many, but one of my main superstitions is that I’m the only one who is allowed to touch my glove on game day.

Do you see yourself as a role model?
Yes, I feel like I’m learning new things about myself each day that I can easily relate to other girls my age or younger.

What’s the last song you listened to?
“I Drive Your Truck” by Lee Brice.

If you could have a super power, what would you want it to be?
I would have “Spidey” powers!

If you were at a party, would you be more likely to sing a song, tell a joke, crawl under a table or do something else!
I would be the awkward one to sit in the corner and not talk to anyone.

If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Chuck Norris or Elvis.

What did you want to be when you were little?
I wanted to be a Power Ranger.

Nickname(s):
Bren, Smitty, Bubba.

Something on your “must do” list:
Bring my brother and sister to Atlanta to visit Georgia Tech.

Funniest thing you’ve ever seen on a softball field:
I watched a girl run after a ball and after she picked it up, she put it in her glove, then she took the glove off her hand and threw the glove with the ball inside it.

What are you looking forward to most this spring/summer?
Competing for another PGF title and spending time with my family.