Word out of the So Cal Athletics camp yesterday was that Sarah Niu, who had an explosive PGF Nationals 16U tournament and helped the A’s win the 16U championship, has decided to head East to the SEC.

Here’s what we were told Wednesday:

“Sarai Niu, our 2015 big hitter from last season has completed her visits and has committed to Mississippi State. We are pleased to have worked with her on completing her recruiting process.”

In September Sarai also visited ASU, Arizona and College of Charleston.

The senior first baseman helped lead the So Cal A’s – Myers/McNee team to the PGF Nationals 16U Premier Championship in an exciting 3-2 win over the Beverly Bandits.

Click here to see Sarai at bat in the PGF Nationals

Below is a Rising Stars profile we did on Sarai on July 28 shortly after the club championship…

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One of the key players on the PGF 16U National Champion So Cal A’s-Myers/McNee team was Sarai Niu, the first baseman who proved to be such a dangerous threat at the plate that in the championship game the Beverly Bandits Premier team pitched very carefully to the Class of 2015 star in the making.

In fact, Sarai hit home runs in each of the first three games and accounted for 10 RBI and opponents noticed—she ended up with six walks in the eight wins compiled by the A’s with nine hits (.375 batting average) and a tournament-leading 16 RBI.

Seeming to come out of nowhere, the infielder was committed to Cal State Fullerton but has opened up her recruiting again.

She lives in Chula Vista, Calif., which is in the San Diego area, and hit nine home runs at Cathedral High to set a school record and earn 1^st team All-CIF honors to go along with a 3.3 GPA.

This is her first year in the A’s program and Sarai says she’s in it for the long haul.

“What I love about this team is that no one is selfish and everyone plays for each other,” she relates. “Playing with these girls has been my best experience in softball.”

It’s not just the National Championship she picked up last Friday, it’s the tutoring and coaching Sarai feels she gets from the coaching staff.

“The coaches (Steve McNee, Doug Myers and staff) work extremely hard and have taught me so much, it takes so much time the dedication they put it into it and they build you up to be a champion. Being with this team has changed me a lot.”

It hasn’t been all homers and high fives, Sarai admits. Recently, she had her most embarrassing moment on the field.

“I was walking into the batter’s box and a fly flew into my face and I tripped in the box,” she laughs.

That’s about the only misstep the athlete has made recently and coaches have taken notice. She has picked up a few more offers and after last week’s phenomenal performance more will surely come.

Sarai has the academics to get into most places too as she has a 3.3 GPA and says she wants to study kinesiology, but for now she’ll savor her championship run and then get back to making the 1 ½ to 2 hour drive it takes to practice with the A’s team at their home base in Anaheim.

Til then, she has some advice for younger players who will be coming up and participating in the recruiting process just as she is doing again.

“If you believe you’re good enough,” she states, “go out and do your best and the colleges will find you.”

Advice she’s obviously followed herself.