Amherst softball star chooses UMass
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AMHERST - Quianna Diaz-Patterson will need to move just a few miles to take her game to the next level.
The Amherst Regional junior last week verbally committed to play softball at the University of Massachusetts. She will enroll in fall 2011.
"I'm really excited," Diaz-Patterson said Wednesday. "I didn't want to go through the stress of waiting another year. I knew I either wanted to go to UMass or Northwestern. When I decided that UMass was the better choice for me, I decided to" commit.
Helping her decision was Diaz-Patterson's two years at the team's camp, where she was impressed with Minutewoman coach Elaine Sortino.
NCAA rules prohibit college coaches from commenting on players until they have signed an official letter of intent.
"I really liked the coaching staff. I went to Coach Sortino's camps in 2006 and 2007," said Diaz-Patterson, who is an honor student at Amherst. "I liked how she taught everyone her style of softball. It fit really well with my personality."
Diaz-Patterson brings an intense and well-rounded game to the diamond. After transferring to Amherst from Nashua (N.H) South before her sophomore year, she took over at shortstop and was the No. 2 hitter for the Hurricanes, who went 20-0 during the regular season.
Diaz-Patterson immediately established herself as one of the best hitters in the state. A switch-hitter who can hit for power from the right side and slap from the left, she finished with a .663 batting average, with five doubles, eight triples and four home runs. She scored 34 runs, went 37-for-37 in stolen base attempts and slugged 1.052.
She is a three-year member of the Polar Crush Gold, an elite club team based in Worcester that also includes classmate Emma Mendoker, a pitcher. That team is the defending 18-under Gold ASA state champions and played in the ASA Gold national championship games at the Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla., the home of the U.S. National team.
Diaz-Patterson hopes to return to the city with UMass some day, playing there in the NCAA Women's College World Series.
"Since I started playing softball, I wanted to go to a Division I school," she said. "When I started watching the World Series with my mom, I wanted to be in Oklahoma City playing for a national title, fighting for my school to be number one in the country."
Diaz-Patterson will become the second Amherst Regional graduate to play for the Minutewomen, joining Denise Fleming, who played at UMass in 1981.
"I like that I'll be so close to home," Diaz-Patterson said. "I can always go see my mom and still have friends around who can come see me play or hang out with me."
The proximity allowed Diaz-Patterson to attend numerous UMass home games last year.
"The complex is beautiful," she said. "I always want to step on it whenever it's newly raked and ready for a game. The fans love the softball team. The stands are always crowded when we get there. It's a great atmosphere."
Jim Pignatiello can be reached at jpignatiello@gazettenet.com. Get high school updates delivered into your Facebook newsfeed at www.facebook.com/gazette.hs.