RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
You have to tip your cap to the coaching staff at UCLA—Kelly Inouye-Perez, Lisa Fernandez and Kirk Walker—as they have received commits from the top-ranked pitcher in the 2024 class in Addisen Fisher (click HERE for more on her) and now have the top-ranked catcher headed to Westwood in Sofia Mujica.
What a future battery for the Bruins!
Sofia, who plays for Scott Berndes’ Power Surge program out of San Diego, had narrowed down her list to a pretty decent Final 5 of UCLA, Stanford, Tennessee, LSU and Oklahoma before committing to UCLA last week.
I had spoken with Sofia in August during PGF Nationals as she was looking forward to taking her trips—you can see that video interview by clicking HERE.
She also made our 16U All-Summer Team (2022) as she batted .409 with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs to lead Power Surge to a 7th place finish at the PGF 16U Premier Nationals and was also named as a PGF All-American.
So why is Sofia such a key pickup and why do many believe (like us) that will she have a big impact for UCLA?
“This is easy,” responded Coach Berndes when we asked him those questions, “as the Bruin Coaches told her when recruiting Sofia: ‘You can do it all, Sofia.’ Sofia can fill so many roles: she hits for power, for average, is a very fast runner and is a great defensive catcher with a great arm. Sofia is also a big-time team leader.
As mentioned in her player bio when she made the Top 5 of the 2024 Extra Elite 100, Sofia ran the 20 in 2.87 seconds as a catcher with a 68-mph arm and an exit velocity of 81 mph. Her 102.8 Allister Index was also one of the highest ever, leading OnDeck’s Derek Allister to comment:
“She is a major talent with all the physical tools.”
Adds Coach Berndes:
“In Sofia, they have a strong defensive catcher with impressive experience at catching. She will be a plug-and-play player for UCLA for the four years she’s there.”
I caught up with Sofia over the weekend and below are her thoughts on her commit and life in general!
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
*****
Extra Inning Softball: Congrats on finalizing your college decision… but it “came at a cost,” so to speak!
Sofia Mujica: (Laughs) Yes, because I was commit before the weekend, I couldn’t play in the recruiting showcase in Rosetta Canyon I was looking forward to going to!
EIS: Still, you know where you’ll be going to college as of this month, that has to be exciting… Did you commit to UCLA on your official visit October 7-9?
SM: Yes, it was on the last day, Sunday, at night. We met with the coaches and I told them: “I want to be a Bruin!”
EIS: When did UCLA actually offer you?
SM: The first morning I was there, on a Friday. My younger sister, Alexis, was there too and I got to sit on it for 48 hours, but I knew it was the right thing for me.
EIS: What else will you remember about your official campus trip?
SM: Everything! The softball practice—including an inner-squad practice—meeting the academic advisors, watching the soccer team play and the tailgate on Saturday before the win over Utah.
EIS: Did you take home a “verbal souvenir” from your official visit?
SM: Sure did… I went to the UCLA (campus) store and bought a gift for myself, a keychain!
EIS: What were the deciding factors in your decision, when you could have gone pretty much anywhere in the country?
SM: There were three main things: 1. the family environment… I felt that when we were in Easton Stadium (UCLA’s softball stadium), it was absolutely amazing; 2. The diversity… there’s so much to do here—I had a blast when we went to the football game (UCLA beat Utah 42-32)—but there’s so much going on athletically, academically and socially at all times, and 3. The opportunities… UCLA is great academically and athletically. I know I’ll get an awesome education while playing top softball there.
EIS: Speaking of academics, you have a 4.3 GPA and are taking classes like AP Biology and Honors Pre-Calculus… do you know what you want to study in Westwood?
SM: Coaching has always been a big draw to me but I can also see me also studying something like Communications or Sports Media.
EIS: You’ve already had such an accomplished career on the fields and in the classroom… what are you most proud of so far?
SM: It will be signing with UCLA. It’s just indescribable being able to do that and exciting emotions I’m feeling. It’s just the thing dreams are made of.
EIS: You’re productive on the field, both offensively and defensively, but what do you think are your strengths?
SM: I feel my leadership is a strength and that I can take control of a game, but even if I’m not doing it with my performance on the field, I look to help others improve as well as myself. I believe my skills can be used in different ways to help my team win—for example, I have good speed for my position.
EIS: You’ve had some time to reflect on your commit now… what is foremost in your mind?
SM: I have to just focus on keep getting better, keep grinding and getting ready for this year and beyond. It’s a relief to commit, for sure, but it does put pressure on me to keep improving. It’s a good pressure, though, for sure!
EIS: Do you, or have you, played other sports?
SM: I started in soccer and played it for years, but I quickly fell in love with softball and been focusing on that ever since.
EIS: What’s your favorite place you’ve placed in your career?
SM: I’m a Cali girl and love it here, so I didn’t really want to leave the state but other places, like Colorado, are beautiful too. It’s just that the weather in some places can be difficult, the cold, heat or rain!
EIS: Let’s finish with this one: tell us something unusual or different about yourself most people don’t know?
SM: I’d say it’s that I’m extremely close to my family, they’re my everything. I’m happy just to stay home with them when I can and to also be with my dogs—Dinger, a Mountain Terrier, and Rocky, a Pit Bull!