Arizona Softball: In-State recruit looks to be the team anchor

Arizona Softball in-state recruit Marissa Schuld could be the anchor of next years pitching staff and much-needed bat in the middle of the lineup.

When talking about recruiting and building a program at a University, coaches always harp on the importance of keeping the top athletes in state at local high schools. This a way for a University to build a solid pipeline in their home state before spreading its wings and tapping into the talent that is out of state or sometimes internationally.

Mike Candrea and his staff seem to be recruiting from the state of Arizona down as they have gained the commitment from the top local prospect in the state of Arizona.

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Wildcat fans should get used to the name of Marissa Schuld as she looks to take her talents to Tucson next year. Marissa attends Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, Arizona. While at Pinnacle she was nothing short of sensational both inside the circle and in the batter’s box.

All that Wildcat fan would have to do is look at her senior year stats that are just popping off the stat sheet. She went 11-1 with a 0.74 ERA accompanied by 151 strikeouts in only 76 innings. It is safe to say that opposing hitters did not have a fun day at the plate when stepped into the circle.

Marissa, not only could baffle hitters, but she could also hit the long ball. Finishing her senior season with a .574 batting average, 16 homers and 57 RBI’s. Not only can this Marissa pitch, but when it is her time to swing the stick she can also rake at the dish.

The sensational senior season at Pinnacle got the storybook ending it deserved when the Pinnacle went on to win the State Championship against Hamilton by a score of 4-0. But collecting bight and shiny trophies did not stop there for Marissa.

Shortly after the season was over, she went on to add another trophy to her mantle. This time she was honored and recognized as the Gatorade Player of the Year for the second straight year in a row. She is the first Wildcat softball player to do this since Kenzie Fowler won it three straight times from the years of 2007-2009.

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Wildcat fans, we talk about a generational type of athletes such as Khalil Tate and DeAndre Ayton. You might want to head to newly renovated Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium next year to catch Marissa take the field as she could be the next amazing athlete to step foot on the campus of the University of Arizona.