Today’s standout in the spotlight comes from a powerhouse club team that already had two players committed to a Pac-12 elite team and now has a talented 2018 Hot 100 candidate in the fold as well!

Name: RACHEL CID
Grad Year: 2018
Pos: Shortstop
High School: Tracy (Calif.)
GPA: 3.8
Club: Sorcerer 18U Gold                                                       
College: Oregon

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FullCountSoftball.com: Congratulations on committing to Oregon… so what is it like, to not having played a real high school inning and knowing where you’ll be going?
Rachel Cid: Thank you so much! It feels great to get the process out of the way so all I have to do now is focus on my academics and sharpening my skills.

FCS.com: You’re the third player on the Sorcerer Gold team that’s committed to Oregon along with Mia Camuso and Deijah Pangilinan… have you had a chance to get with the others and talk Duck softball?
RC: Deijah is like my little sister and we’ve talked about playing at OU together for the past year and how that would be so cool!

FCS.com: The Sorcerer Gold team is loaded with talent and yet has only one senior (Lindsay Rood). How excited are you to be playing with this group of players in 2015 and beyond?
RC: I’m very excited to be with this young group. I know that we will go through some ups and downs being a young team, but I know in the upcoming years we’re going to be a very good team to reckon with.

FCS.com: Being in NorCal, what is your perception of the level of softball where you’re at? Do you think it gets the respect it should or is it overshadowed by SoCal teams and players?
RC: My perception is that others think that there are many very good individual players here but not that many very good teams. I don’t think NorCal as a whole will ever get the respect it deserves until we start consistently being able to beat the SoCal teams,

FCS.com: Let’s talk Oregon some more and the recruiting process… tell us how you were first seen by the Duck coaches and how the process went (and timeline) up until your offer?
RC: I believe Oregon first noticed me at the OnDeck Camp in 2013 and one other one in early 2014. They started to follow some of our tournaments after that. By the fall of 2014 they had spoken with Coach Pete Aguayo and said they were very interested. We finally went for an unofficial visit in January and accepted their offer.

FCS.com: What led into the decision to commit and why now?
RC: On my visit I loved the small campus type atmosphere. The city is all about Duck sports. Most of all I loved the coaching staff. Why now? It just felt right.

FCS.com: Did you visit other campuses and have several schools to compare to Oregon or were they the one you wanted from the beginning?
RC: Oregon was always on the top of my list but you don’t really know until you visit with other schools just to make sure. I visited Cal and UCLA also. I was recruited by LSU, Oklahoma, Arizona, Washington, Oregon State and several Midwest and East Coast schools, but the West Coast is where my heart was.

FCS.com: How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
RC: I told the coaches while I was on my unofficial visit.

FCS.com: Describe your emotions around telling them, were you more nervous or more excited?
RC: I was a little nervous at first but when I got more comfortable around the coaching staff I got very excited when I knew Oregon was right for me.

FCS.com: What do you think are your strengths on the field?
RC: My strengths are that I’m a very versatile defensive player. As far as offense, I can hit for power and for average.

FCS.com: What’s been a top memory or two for you in your athletic career?
RC: A top memory for me in my athletic career was at PGF Nationals last year when we were down 8-4 in the bottom of the 7^th with two outs and I hit a 3 run home run to get our team within one run. Looking back at it now we didn’t pull it off for the win but in a crucial pressure situation I answered the call. Also in the same event I hit a grand slam in front of some top scouts.

 

Quick Hitters

 

What do you want to major in?
Medical field or Sports Medicine.

Fill in the blank… I’m happiest when: ___________________________
… I listen to music.

What do you think is the most crucial issue impacting your age group?
Fitting in/popularity.

Favorite food:
Pizza.

Least favorite food:
Cottage cheese.

If you were handed a $1,000 bill, what would you spend it on (sorry, can’t save it!)?
Victoria Secret PINK clothes.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I really love to sing, but am too shy to sing in front of people.

How would your friends describe you in one word?
Thoughtful.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams and stay humble.

Do you have any softball superstitions or rituals?
I have a lot (laughs). I have to wear eyeblack, have to wear a bow, have to have my wristbands on and I always wear a visor. Also, my dad and I always have a special handshake we do before every tournament day.

Other than family, who’s your hero or someone you look up to most?
I look up to my middle school principal, Dr. Bridges because he would always tell me to do the right thing and talk to me about college and getting a good education.

Do you have a motto or favorite saying you like?
Go big or go home.

What’s your “guilty pleasure,” something you hate to admit you love?
Sweets!

If you could have a super power, what would you want it to be?
To be invisible.

Best movie you’ve seen in the last year or two…
Unbroken.

If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Jackie Robinson.

What did you want to be when you were little?
A cheerleader or teacher.

Do you have a nickname(s)?
Cid the Kid.

Something on your “must do” list:
Visit all 50 states someday.

For your favorite meal, what would you request?
My Mom’s spaghetti.

Funniest thing you’ve ever seen on a softball field:
At a Halloween tournament the home plate ump was dressed as a Whoppee cushion and every time a bad pitch would hit him it would let out a fart sound!