Darcy Barkauskas (10) has recently verbally committed to Saginaw State University, located in University Center, Mich, for a softball scholarship.

“A verbal commit is saying that they offered you a scholarship and you took that scholarship, but you still have time to change your mind, so that scholarship is on hold for you. Nothing is said in done,” said Barkauskas.

Barkauskas was very surprised when the softball coach first asked her to come play softball there in college. The coach approached her very suddenly and she was not expecting this at all.

“My jaw dropped when he first [asked] that. He basically said it out of the blue. He said, “I want you to come play softball here” and it took a few seconds for it to set in,” said Barkauskas.

Barkauskas has played softball for a very long time. She has played travel softball for the Lake Central softball team her freshman year and plans on trying out again her sophomore year.

“I have played softball for ten years. I fell in love with it at a young age because I love that feeling when you get a good hit or when you threw that girl out. I mostly continue because of the amount of fun I have playing it and the people I play it with,” said Barkauskas.

Playing in college was also one of the goals she had wanted to achieve in softball. She has wanted to compete at that high of a level from a young age.

“It was something very special. I knew I wanted to get to that next level when I was at a very young age. My first step was making the high school team and my next step after that was making a college team,” said Barkauskas.