Recruiting Q&A: Tia Milloy Commits to Oklahoma as the Latest in the Family to Go Big-Time in the Softball World

What an athletic pedigree the Milloy family has when it comes to college sports.

Lawyer Milloy had a storied career at Washington and went on to play 15 years in the NFL with the Seahawks and Patriots, and finished with a Super Bowl Trophy and four Pro Bowl appearances. He met his wife, Claudine, at UW where she was a notable track athlete, twice earning All-American honors.

The couple would go on to have four daughters who have all had impressive softball careers.

The oldest is Amirah, who played the outfield from 2016-to-2019 for the Huskies and was an NFCA All-Region honoree and an All-American scholar athlete.

Following her in the line of sisters is Kiki, who currently plays at Tennessee and was part of the USA Women’s National Team that competed in the Japan All-Star Series held in August; Tia, a 2024 who recently committed to Oklahoma; and Breya, who is an up-and-coming 10 year old softball prospect.

Over the summer, we did a Player Spotlight on Tia titled “I Would Love to Be Remembered as Someone Who Loves the Game” which you can read by clicking HERE.

Last month, she was selected to the Top 40 of the 2024 Extra Elite 100 in which we wrote about her in part:

T-39—Tia Milloy, MIF, Northwest Bullets 18U – Muir
Tia is nearly an unstoppable force on offense and was named as a four-star athlete by OnDeck, was on the 2022 Washington State 4A champion, earned All-State honors and was the Kingco League MVP. From Redmond, Washington, her athletic ability is “unmatched,” per Head Coach Dennis Muir who added: “Tia keeps the defense on their toes with her ability to lay down a drag bunt or hit a hard ball in the gap.  She is able to read the defense and execute and Tia possesses power, speed and instincts that most don’t have.” Defensively, as a middle infielder she has incredible range and a great first step.

Extra Inning Softball’s Joy Roeder recently caught up with the future Sooner infielder to learn more about her verbal to Oklahoma… here’s that interview:

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How much did you rely on your family to helping you navigate your decision?
I knew that my family was going to be supportive no matter where I decided to go. When it was time to make my decision, mom and my dad were right by my side. All of my sisters were so happy for me when I had told them that I committed to Oklahoma.

How much did your club and/or HS coaches help in your recruiting process?
My club coaches were very supportive as our organization’s goal is to get us to college. They had preexisting relationships with college coaches and were constantly relaying information between me and the coaches prior to September 1^st.

How many schools did you narrow your list to going into Sept. 1st?
I didn’t narrow down my options until after September 1 when I could create relationships with coaches. I did have some schools in mind, but I wanted to keep my options open.

How many schools did you visit?
Two.

Was Oklahoma a clear stand out or were you torn between a few schools?
All the schools that I was considering were great options and I believe that I would have been happy with any of my options.

What was it that stood out about Oklahoma?
I love the competitive nature of the program. The coaches constantly create competition within the team and I know that I will get better because my coaches and teammates will push me to be the best player and person I can.

What were some of the questions you made sure to ask while on visits?
My parents and I made sure to ask about the academic support of the program. It’s important to us that I come out of college with a good degree that is applicable in life beyond college.

What was the hardest part about the recruiting process for you?
The hardest part to me was making my decision. I knew that any place that I would picked would have been a great fit for me, I just had to find what would be the best.

It’s easy to see why players want to play for a national championship program like Oklahoma.  What is something non-softball related that weighed in on your decision to choosing Oklahoma?
The Oklahoma staff and team feel like family. They really took the time to learn about me and my family. After September 1^st, the coaching staff frequently took the time to call me. I had great long talks with each coach and most of the time the topic wasn’t about softball. When I got the campus for my official visit, I felt welcomed by the whole team and especially my host, Tiare Jennings.

Is there anything you are nervous about as you think about being a student-athlete?  If so, do you feel you have resources and tools that can help with the nerves and make sure you keep your mental health and overall ability to deal with the pressures in check?
I think there this is a possibility that I–and other student-athletes–at the collegiate level can experience these issues, but I feel like my decision has ensured that I will be surrounded but he right people in order for me to get through those difficulties.

I feel comfortable talking to everyone on the coaching staff and I am confident that they are all people that are willing to support me. I have gotten the opportunity to go to camps and visits with the other commits, all people who I am so excited to play with. I also know that I have that same support at home. My mom, dad, and two sisters have all lived the life of a student athlete.

Do you have any friends/teammates that are not committed yet?  Have they gotten discouraged and, if so, how have you tried to encourage them and what piece of advice would you give your peers that you know have talent but haven’t yet been committed?
I think that it is very easy to compare ourselves to others, especially in softball. For me, I started getting anxious as I saw more and more girls committing. My advice is to remember that everyone is different and every process is different. Trust the work that you know that you have put in. Trust your process