She hasn’t had the chance to travel to Coppin State in Maryland, but Pati Soria knows that’s where she wants to go.
Soria signed her letter of intent to attend CSU next fall to study nursing and play softball.
“I had to talk with my family. It was ridiculous even considering not going out there yet,” Soria said. “But my friend went out there and we talked about it. My family has talked about it. It’s been
a roller coaster.”
Her friend Anna Aldrete from Modesto is also attending the school and helped push it over the top for her.
“I’ve always wanted to play Division I, that’s definitely a big part of it. But then my best friend was also going to go,” Soria said.
She said it has been a bit of a whirlwind in the recruiting process, with opportunities coming up but falling away. Now, Soria said, the stress is off her and she can enjoy the experience of playing.
“I get to have fun now and really enjoy every moment I have with my friends now,” Soria said.
During the ceremony, Soria’s friends and teammates gave her a tear-filled words of congratulations.
“You’re so dedicated and you work the hardest on the team. No one deserves this more than you. You’ll always be the 7 to my 8,” said Morgan England.
Soria started playing when she was 7 years old.
During her three years at Christopher, she has batted .349 on the varsity team, driving in 53 runs and scoring 55 times.
Last year, she was fourth on the team in hitting with a .322 average.
Coppin State is in the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference and is under new coach Gino Olivieri.
