Today we head to Southern California to spotlight a talented pitcher who’s in the 2018 Hot 100 and after a strong summer reached her No. 1 goal by committing to Notre Dame.

Name: PAYTON TIDD
Grad Year: 2018
Pos: pitcher/first base
High School: San Marcos (Calif.)
GPA: 3.86
Club: So Cal A’s – TO
Stats: went 15-4 with a 2.21 ERA as a freshman this spring with 104 K’s in 110.2 innings and limited opponents to a .215 batting average; also hit .427 with 25 RBI in 89 official at-bats
Honors: Pitcher of the year in the Avocado League, 1^st Team Avocado league, 2^nd team all CIF
Height: 5-foot-9
College: Notre Dame

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FloSoftball.com: The A’s came very close at PGF, finishing 3^rd and losing to the eventual champs, the OC Batbusters-Campbell team. Successful Nationals or a disappointment that you did win it all?
Payton Tidd: I felt like it was a disappointment. We all wanted it bad but fought our way through a really tough bracket (Suncats, Firecrackers, So Cal A’s Mercado, Georgia Impact, etc.) so we should be proud of 3^rd place.

FS.com: What was the highlight of your summer would you say?
PT: Visiting Notre Dame and committing to play softball for the Fighting Irish!!

FS.com: Think back to the spring and your high school season… how would you say your freshman year went on and off the field?
PT: I really like my high school and my freshman year. My best friends, who are also on my So Cal As team, also go to the same high school. We all made the varsity team and had a great time. We won our league and made it to the semifinals of CIF. I believe it is the furthest San Marcos High has gone in a while. We also played volleyball for the first time which was fun.

FS.com: Exciting news with the Notre Dame verbal recently! Walk us through the recruiting process and how they first learned of you to when and how you committed?
PT: The recruiting process was hard and stressful, including attending different camps and talking to many coaches, but I am excited and relieved that I committed to the perfect school for me. Notre Dame has followed my team for the last couple of years. The Notre Dame coaches were in contact with my pitching coach and they told her I should come to their summer camp. Once I was at camp I was able to work with the coaches and see the beautiful campus. I fell in love! I had a couple offers, but felt that Notre Dame was the right school for me so I took the offer. I get to go back to campus in September and watch a football game which is really exciting.

FS.com: Have you talked with the Irish coaches about how they’ll use you, meaning will you pitch only or pitch and hit too?
PT: We haven’t talked in detail yet but they watched me play at PGF and told me they were proud of me (pitching and hitting).

FS.com: It’s a great school and program, obviously, but are/were there concerns about going far away? How about weather?
PT: I have never had any concerns about going far away, but the weather will be a new experience which I am excited about.

FS.com: Describe your emotions around telling them, were you nervous, excited, something else?
PT: I was very excited to tell them I was committing and happy to be a part of the Irish family. I remember my mom and I looked at each other after I made the call to Coach Gumpf and we started laughing because it was a weird feeling that the process was over.

FS.com: What did the Irish coaches say they liked most about you and your game?
PT: They love my change-up and said I have a great presence on the mound.

FS.com: Since we last spoke six months ago, how has your pitching (or pitches) improved… have you added any new pitches or refined what you already throw?
PT: My rise ball has improved. Still working on it

Quick Hitters

Excited or dreading going back to school?
Excited to see my friends.

Fill in the blank… When I’m in the circle I feel: _________________
… in control of the game.

When you want to have your spirits lifted, what do you/who do you go to?
I listen to music.

If you were handed a $1,000 and had to spend in one day, what would you do with it?
I would take my family and three best friends to Disneyland.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I am allergic to cats.

Best vacation you ever took:
My family and I took a three week vacation to Europe.

Do you have any softball superstitions or rituals?
I never step on a chalk line before a game.

If you were forced to be in a talent show, what would you do (sing, tell jokes, juggle, something else)?
Dance.

What’s your “guilty pleasure,” something you hate to admit you love?
I am addicted to the TV show Criminal Minds!

If you could have a super power, what would you want it to be?
Heal others or teleportation.

What’s playing in your headphones these days?
R&B.

What did you want to be when you were little?
A veterinarian.

Nickname(s):
Payt or P-Tiddy.

What’s your No. 1 goal in life right now?
My No. 1 goal was achieved when I committed to Notre Dame this summer. This week my goal is to make the high school volleyball team and enjoy my last few weeks of summer before school starts.

If you had a guest or visitor come to San Marcos, what would you do with him or her to show them around?
I would take them to get some good Mexican food, pick up my best friends and go to the beach.