RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
It’s been a big September for Coach Jo Hardin and the Virginia softball program as the Cavaliers have pulled in a stellar Class of 2022 so far.
The ACC school has received five commits from top players in the East since the start of the Contact Period began on Sept. 1—six overall—with perhaps the most impressive pick-up being Atalyia Rijo, the outstanding shortstop on Nate Eaton’s Team NC 16U squad.
She was ranked in the Top 10 overall of the 2022 Extra Elite 100 rankings published in April and part of what we said at the time was: “Atalyia can do it all on the field and do it a very high level: she hits for average and power, is a great defensive infielder with a strong arm, possesses dangerous speed and has a high softball IQ. Said one national championship-winning club coach: ‘Her tools separate her from the rest, but Atalyia’s IQ is what makes her one of the best.’”
As a freshman for Corning (New York) High as a freshman in 2019 she hit .476 with a .553 on-base percentage and stole 14 bases.
This summer, in just 26 games before the Coronavirus threw a wrench in the her team’s season, the New York standout hit .418 with a .709 slugging percentage and smacked three home runs, 14 doubles and 17 RBIs… all as the leadoff batter for Team NC.
Coach Eaton believes: “If the recruiting rule hadn’t gone into effect in April of 2018, Atalyia would have had 20-plus offers from Power 5 schools.”
The high school junior certainly has a great family background of success on the baseball and softball fields including the career of her uncle, Jose Rijo, who pitched the Cincinnati Reds to a World Series title in 1990. You can read more about this in a story we did two summers ago, which is republished below.
First, though, check why his fluid infielder is going to be a Cavalier!
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How have the last three weeks been as you finalized your college decision?
They have been full of emotions: happy, exhausted, overwhelmed, excited, seeing different points of views, imagination.
What was your process of ranking schools and the criteria that was important to you in making your decision?
I personally made a list of things that I thought were important to me and ranked each school off of that:
- Education/ opportunity
- Softball
- Coaches
- Campus life/ location
In it, I included a pros and cons list for each of my options to have a complete visual representation.
What did you learn about yourself during the recruiting process?
I learned that my organizational skills and research beforehand made this whole process much easier. I learned I am able to put my emotions aside and choose what is best for myself and my future.
Who did you lean on for advice during the process? What was some advice you received that stood out?
A lot of my advice can from family, friends, and my coach. Some of it made me start to realize that softball has got me to the point where I had options, but I had to choose a school that will benefit me after softball. You know what they say, “If you want to be a millionaire then you have to surround yourself with millionaires.” Also, “This is a 40 year decision. not a four year one.”
Talk about Virginia and how UVA got in the mix with all the SEC and PAC 12 interest you had…
UVA has always been a top school on my academic list. The coaches have shown interest in me by showing up at many of my games over the years. The impact COVID-19 had on institutional budgets and rosters was evident in my calls with most all coaches. It came down to me having to choose what’s best for myself and family, all things given.
In your eyes, what does Virginia offer that the other schools didn’t?
UVA offers an amazing education (one of the top ones in the country) and tons of opportunities for student-athletes.
Was there a specific coach at Virginia that you bonded with that made you consider UVA?
I feel like I’ve bonded with all three of the Coaches at UVA. Conversation is easy and they are all super cool!
What are you goals for the next two years now that you’ve committed?
My goals for the next two years are to improve my over-all game. A big focal point will to be to increase my power by changing from a functional training routine to a plan that includes the heavier lifts. I also plan on continuing to work on speed. Hitting and glove work are a constant.
The Cavaliers softball program has a new $24 million dollar park… did that play a role in your decision?
Yes, the brand-new stadium is very attractive. I see it as, if I’m going to be spending a lot of my time there then why not live in luxury? (laughs)
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Extra Star Power: 2022 Infielder Atalyia Rijo Carries on the “Family Business”
Originally published on June 29, 2018
With all the baseball and softball success in her family’s background, it would have been more of a story if Atalyia Rijo hadn’t become a top prospect to watch on the diamond.
That the incoming freshman is as talented as she is with the bat and glove comes as no surprise when you look at her accomplished family tree:
*** Atalyia’s father, Fernando Rijo, is from La Romana in the Dominican Republic and signed with the Los Angeles Dodger in 1995 at age 16. He pitched 11 seasons of professional baseball (1995 to 2005), mostly at the AA level, and got as high as AAA.
*** the athlete’s mother, Audrey Rijo, was a three-sport athlete who played D1 softball in college—two years at the Univ. of Albany and two at North Carolina-Wilmington from 1998 to 2002.
*** a cousin, Jose Rijo, was an MLB All-Star and led the Cincinnati Reds to the 1990 World Series title and was the World Series MVP.
*** an uncle, also named Jose Rijo, played in the Houston minor league system for nine years from 1993-2002.
*** another cousin, Victor Mercedes, played minor league baseball from 2001 to 2012.
Atalyia is a 13-year-old middle infielder currently playing for Nate Eaton’s 14U team, which is in Colorado this week competing at the Triple Crown Jr. Sparkler.
So far this week, reports from college coaches indicate Atalyia has looked great in the field and at the plate with several SEC and ACC programs watching her play.
According to Coach Eaton, “All I keep hearing is ‘We are interested.’ I had a school tell me on Wednesday that if we were under the old recruiting rule, she would have had 8-10 offers from the last two weekends.”
The Rijo family now calls Horse Heads, New York, home after Atalyia’s parents met in 2001 in North Carolina when Audrey was playing at UNCW and Fernando was in the minor leagues playing for the Dodgers’ A club, the Wilmington Waves.
Scroll down to read more about the shortstop’s impressive background!