Last week a So Cal standout junior committed to an SEC school so we followed up to see how the verbal came down and what she’s doing right now as she plays for one of the top programs in the nation.  

Check it out…

 

Name: MARISSA VARRATI
Grad Year: 2016
Pos: 3B/OF
High School: Santiago (Corona, Calif.)
GPA: 3.6
Club: So Cal A’s – McNee/Myers
Stats: this summer: 20 hits, 13 RBI, four home runs, three triples
College: Ole Miss  

 

 ***

StudentSportsSoftball.com: As a freshman, you started on your high school team that won it all… what was that like?
Marissa Varrati: It was the best experience and feeling I have ever had.  Being a part of a winning team with the camaraderie that we had made it more like a family.  I never really felt like the “freshman” on the team, because we all had the same mentality and really wanted to win.  It was also a huge honor and a big part of my success having Coach John Perez believe in me and put me on his Varsity squad.

 

SSS.com: You’ve been in some high-profile events and games including the PGF Nationals, OnDeck Zoom to June and the high school playoffs… what was your favorite experience and was it nerve-wracking to be in the spotlight with so many watching?
MV: During high school playoffs, we played Vista Murrieta and we were down 2-0 going into the top of the seventh, and as a team we rallied back and ended up beating them 11-2 with two outs.  As a freshman being in the CIF Division 1 finals was such an honor and the pressure was on since I was the DH, my first at bat I struggled, my second at bat went to the fence but was caught and then finally hitting the two-run home run in the fifth could not have come at a better time, I really felt some pressure to do my job in that game.

 

SSS.com: Now you’re playing in one of the most successful club organizations that has won championships at most levels… what does it mean to you to be with the Athletics?
MV: To be a So Cal Athletic player and being coached at this level has been one of the best accomplishments for me.  To be on one of the best high school teams and then play on a premier organization like the A’s has helped me to get to the next level.  I am truly honored to be able to play for the Athletics.

 

SSS.com:  It must be a dream come true to be able to play in the SEC, what do you think of being able to play at such an elite level?
MV: This honestly is a dream come true for me.  I realize that this accomplishment is a big achievement and that I will need to continue to work hard and maintain my focus.  Not only that I get to play at Ole Miss, but also for (Head) Coach (Mike) Smith.

 

SSS.com: Tell us how you were first seen by the Mississippi coaches and how the recruiting process went up until they offered?
MV: Actually, Coach Smith had been watching me since last year at the On Deck camp in June.  At that time he was with McNeese State.  My family and I had decided that I wanted to get through Colorado this year before really narrowing down my choices.  In late spring, we had heard that Coach Smith had taken the job at Mississippi.  I had continued to e-mail all of the schools I was interested in throughout my high school and early summer for the A’s.  Coach Smith was able to watch the first Surf City showcase and also he and his assistants came to Colorado.  I guess they like what they saw and when I was able to call him he asked if I would like to be a Rebel!  I remembered being in such shock that I told him, “Red is my color!”

 

SSS.com: What factors led into the decision to commit?
MV: I have liked Coach Smith since he was the coach at California Baptist.  When he was at McNeese, one of my teammates from Santiago had gone there so I followed the team closely.  When he was hired at Ole Miss, it was almost surreal that I could be playing at an SEC school with such a huge tradition and also for the coach I had been watching for so many years.

 

SSS.com: How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
MV: I actually told Coach Smith over the phone.  My parents and I both.  I am taking an unofficial in the beginning of October.

 

SSS.com: Having gone through the recruiting process, what advice would you give to younger girls coming up?
MV: I would tell them to first do research on multiple schools, don’t just narrow it down to one or two and pick from all divisions.  Keep in mind what your absolutes are. Like, if you hate snow, you probably shouldn’t choose a state where it snows.  Keep e-mailing after every event, even through high school.  Talk with your high school and travel coaches to make sure they know what you want and what is actually realistic.  Keep up your grades and continue to work hard on and off the field.

 

SSS.com: Was distance a factor or concern in your decision at all? 
MV: Distance was not a factor at all.  Actually I didn’t ever want to narrow myself to loose out on any opportunities.  I was born in Nebraska and moved to California when I was five, so I still have family in the Midwest.

 

SSS.com: When you think of the state of Mississippi now (not the university), what comes to mind?
MV: Traditions and history.

 

SSS.com:  What do you think (or have others said) are your strengths as a softball player?
MV: I think one of my strengths as a softball player is the knowledge of the game.  My dad instilled early on that I should always be anticipating the next play and have the ability to focus on that play or the next at-bat.   I think my teammates would say I am always positive and I never let the negative stuff get to me.  Also, I feel I am a good teammate and support and encourage them as well.

 

SSS.com: What’s been a top memory or two for you in your softball career?
 MV: Making varsity as a freshman at Santiago.  Hitting the two run home run in the CIF Finals against Norco as a freshman.  Winning the CIF Div. 1 game against Norco and when I heard Coach Smith say, “How would you like to be a Rebel?”

 

Quick Hitters

 

What would you like to be doing after your softball career is over?
I want to be a Physical Therapist.

Fill in the blank… on the softball field, no one is better than me at:_________________
…staying one step ahead of the next play.

What is a topic in the news that you care about or follow?
I like local news and keeping up with what is going on around me.

Favorite color:
Blue.

Least favorite food:
Asparagus.

Favorite thing to do in your down time:
Hang out with friends.

What’s your dream vacation?
Ireland, my Grandma was born there.

What type of bat do you use (and why do you like it)?
Demarini, its the commemorative Breast Cancer bat and my Grandma is a true survivor.  I think of her before every at bat!

Favorite musician?
Eric Church.

What’s playing in your earbuds right now?
Top Country Station on Pandora.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I have been in commercials and on a TV show, then decided I liked softball better than show biz.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one thing with you, what would it be?
That’s a tough one, but probably my dog Brucie.

Any softball rituals or superstitions?
I’m very superstitious, if I wear a bow and do good I wear that bow again, if not it goes.  I also have the same routine at the plate when I come up to bat.

Do you see yourself as a role model? 
 Yes I do.  I have tried to be a positive influence to my younger brother.  I also have helped with the freshman camps at Santiago and with the younger players on all of my teams.