I Committed: From the OC to DC – Reese Ferrel Chooses George Washington University

Although Reese Ferrel comes from a very athletic family—her parents each spent time coaching, and the athlete’s elder brother grew up playing competitive baseball—the middle infielder and outfielder for the Orange County Batbusters Stith—Maroon felt that her small size was somewhat discouraging early on in her playing career.

“Being a small fast kid, my parents knew moving to the left side at 10 years old would be my best chance to make it to the next level as a multi-tooled left-handed batter,” shared Reese. “It was very hard learning how to hit all over again left-handed. My parents taught me fundamentals early, thankfully, and trained me as a utility player. Although training six-to-seven days meant giving up a lot of social time, it was all worth it.”

Reese is a threat at the plate and on the bases, possessing the ability to power slap and find holes in even the best competition’s outfield. This summer, the athlete led the Batbusters in batting average at the Triple Crown Nationals in Georgia, hitting .619 against the most elite pitchers in the nation.

In recent seasons, Reese has been primarily used at second base, which is a testament to her incredible footwork and efficiency at getting rid of the ball for quick outs.

“Reese is a long time Batbuster who’s truly committed to the process,” commented her club coach, Tim Shockey. “She’s a hard worker and simply just gets after it with a great attitude and effort. Beyond all of that, she’s just a very wonderful human being. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to work with her and what I appreciate is that she’s kind, truly cares for others, and wants to see others succeed as well. It’s all really paying off for her.”

When the athlete’s recruitment process began, Reese was very diligent at identifying universities that fit her needs, not the other way around. Knowing that she wanted to study political science, play Division I softball, and attend college in a city, Reese came upon the program at George Washington, and began to express strong interest.

She took an unofficial visit to the Washington D.C. campus and fell in love with everything about the institution and its softball program. On a phone call with the coaching staff shortly after, on September 20^th, Reese accepted an offer to spend the next four years as a Colonial.

“George Washington University was a perfect fit for me. I want to attend law school and what better place to be than in Washington D.C. where I can intern at some point while getting to play the sport I love! Coach Chrissy Schoonmaker is amazing and a real class act. She was very honest during the whole process, and I feel amazing about my commitment. I’m don’t hit bombs, I’m a table setter. I’m that annoying lefty slapper that finds a way on base, so I’ve had to work so hard to get noticed. So, to all the smaller girls, keep working hard, don’t let the eye test determine your success!”

Beyond the dirt, Reese is incredibly driven in the classroom, with dreams of one day becoming a lawyer. At Jserra Catholic High School, located in San Juan Capistrano, California, Reese is an active member of the Law Magnet program, which has allowed her to take courses in speech and debate, legal research, and criminal law honors, among several other classes garnered towards students interested in pre-law. Additionally, Reese competes for JSerra’s Mock Trial team.

The talented athlete has doubled down on training since her commitment, determined to have fine-tuned all aspects of her game when she finally steps on The Mount Vernon Softball Field in a few seasons. In addition to the Batbusters’ weekend practices, Reese attends fielding lessons with Coach Mike Stith on Monday evenings, as well as the club’s Dynamic Speed and Strength training in Anaheim the following night.

Reese will graduate from JSerra Catholic High School in the spring of 2025. When she joins the George Washington Colonials, she will wear #4 and plans to earn her degree in Political Science on her path to becoming a lawyer.

— Regan Weekly/Extra Inning Softball

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