BYU softball has had a great run recently under Coach Gordon Eakin, winning 40 games last year giving the Cougars 40 or more victories nine of the last 11 years and finishing first in its conference eight of the last nine seasons.

That level of success comes from getting good talent and the BYU coaches have to be excited with the pickup this fall of Alyssa Podhurcak, a 2018 infielder from Torrance, California who plays for the OC Batbusters – Smith 16U team and attends South High School.

Versatile in that she can play any infield spot and excellent on defense as well as at the plate, Alyssa is also a champion as she was a key player on Mark Campbell’s 14U squad that won PGF Nationals this summer. During the title-winning week, she led the team in RBI (5) and at-bats (23) while batting .304.

We caught up with Alyssa to learn more about her background and why she will call Provo, Utah home in a few years…

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Tell us about your softball background...
I began when I was six years old playing tee ball with the Cardinals in the Riviera Little League in Torrance. The following year I joined the Torrance Girls Softball League and played in TGSL up until I was 10. I remember our team winning the 12U League championship in the final inning and how much fun it was to play in the All Star games each year. TGSL was a great league and I had so much fun playing there!

After TGSL I began playing travel softball with Team Whatley 10U coached by Robert Young. That is where everything began to change. The Saturday morning practices were long and tough. Coach Young and his staff demanded a lot during practices and during the games. This was quite a change from rec softball and I got my first taste of what travel ball requires.

I ended up playing a couple years for the Firecrackers before moving over to the Batbusters’ organization where I continue to play today.

Last year had to be exhilarating, winning a National Championship at the prestigious PGF Nationals…
Yes, to practice so hard and play with your teammates all year and finally have it all come together at PGF was incredible. We were all very excited and happy to bring home the championship! It was a very talented team Coached by Mark Campbell and Mike Stith and our team had a solid summer leading up to the 14U PGF National Championships, but we also knew there were many talented teams from across the country competing at PGF. In the end we came away with the championship by beating a tough Georgia Impact Lewis team 7-4.

When you look back at the PGF experience, what memory or memories come to mind first?
Winning the championship of course was great and the other memory I have from that tournament was our semi-final game against the SoCal A’s. Both teams were outstanding and highly competitive. Every inning seemed to have a bit of drama and it turned out to be a tight and very intense game. I was fortunate enough to hit a solo home run, then later a two-run single to help our team to a 4-2 win. That was a big win for our team and I was just glad I could help contribute.

Tell us about your recruiting process…
Like many girls, I began with a list of schools that I was interested in one of which was BYU. My parents signed me up for my first BYU camp when I was 11 years old. I went to the camp with a friend of mine, which made the whole trip a lot of fun. We stayed in the dorms, ate at the college cafeteria, and were sort of 'on our own' which was really cool.

I can remember how big the field looked, how nice the coaches and players were, and how beautiful the campus and surrounding area was. I continued to attend the summer softball camps and Coach Eakin knew I was interested in attending BYU. I went to several other college camps but BYU was certainly at the top of my list.

During the past couple seasons, Coach Eakin or Coach Kristin Delahoussaye would come out to my games and showcase events. Some days I did fine, but there were other days where I did not play my best and I wondered where I stood in the recruiting process.

I finally received my answer when I attended BYU's summer camp this past July. On the last day of camp Coach Eakin gave me the great news that they were offering me a scholarship! I was so excited and also a bit relieved. A few weeks later my whole family made the trip up to BYU to verbally commit—it was definitely worth the drive!

What attracted you to BYU?
It really is a perfect fit for me. Most people are aware that BYU has a great academic reputation but they also have solid athletic programs including softball. Coach Eakin and his assistant coaches are a big reason for my commitment. I have a great deal of respect for Coach Eakin and I know he is competitive on the field, but also stresses values and education. He wants his girls to be well rounded and prepared for life after college.

What did you learn throughout the recruiting process?
I realize you cannot do this by yourself. It takes a great deal of work and support if you want the opportunity to play college softball. My parents have fully supported me and like many softball families, dedicated a great deal of time. My mom drives me to hitting and fielding lessons twice during the week and then to practices and games on the weekends. I have also been very fortunate to be part of an outstanding Batbusters organization which is surrounded by talented coaches who are dedicated to helping girls reach the next level.

I also learned the value of time management. The commitment to softball is huge and you need to learn how to manage time for school, sports, family, and of course friends! I am very excited and blessed to have verbally committed to BYU!