Marissa Schuld Adjusts After Arizona To Arizona State Transfer

Marissa Schuld grew up in the Phoenix area as a fan of the Arizona State Sun Devils. Schuld, however, committed to play for the Arizona Wildcats as an eighth grader and went on to have a prestigious career at Pinnacle High School, where she led the Pioneers to a state championship as a senior. Schuld also won the Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year award during her senior year, when she led the Pioneers with an 11-1 record, 0.74 ERA, and 151 strikeouts in 76 innings pitched.

After two years at Arizona, Schuld entered the transfer portal last spring and decided to transfer to her hometown team. Softball America caught up with her to discuss her transfer process and transition at Arizona State.

Softball America: What are the reasons you decided to transfer from Arizona?

Marissa Schuld: COVID had some play in that, and I wanted to be closer to my family for some family reasons, and it was time for me to move on from Arizona as well, for playing time as well as my mental well-being.

SA: Since you played against a lot of the athletes that you will now be playing with at ASU, what excites you the most about this ASU team?

MS: I’m excited to play with this team because I’ve played against and with some of these players in club softball and high school, and now to be able to play on the same team will be really fun and I believe that we have a great shot at going to the College World Series this year and winning it, even.

SA: What was the transfer process like for you from start to end?

MS: It was definitely very stressful. Leaving Arizona, which is one of the top programs in the country, was not easy at all, by any means, and I'm beyond thankful for every relationship and friendship I made down there. But as far as the process went, I had my options open the entire time, and then Arizona State offered me and obviously I would like to stay close to home and it is in my backyard. I am familiar playing there as well whether it was at the Kajikawa Classic or state championships in high school. It just felt like home.

SA: What excites you the most about playing for Coach Trisha Ford?

MS: She is very straightforward, which I really like, as well as she’s very hands-on with her players, and she really cares about each and every one of us and that excites me because she treats us like her own daughters. I just really love how welcoming and loving she was bringing me into the ASU community.

SA: Barring the fact that you may have to sit out this year because of transfer rules, what do you hope to accomplish this season?

MS: If I do have to sit out this year, I am just really going to work on getting stronger physically as well as mentally, because that will be a big factor if I do have to sit out. Another thing is to continue to push my teammates to get better and really competing with other girls at my positions and in scrimmages, as I will still be able to compete in scrimmages.

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