Former WNCC softball players Marsico, Ventoza to play against Team USA softball team in Bound 4 Beijing softball tour

The USA Softball National team is preparing for next month’s 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China with a Bound 4 Beijing tour across the United States. And, for three area players with local ties, they will get a chance to play against Team USA, the reigning World Champions.

Chadron State junior-to-be Stephanie Hillman and former Western Nebraska Community College player Kari Marsico will be part of the South Dakota softball team that will take on Team USA July 15 in Rapid City, S.D., while former WNCC and current University of Washington softball player Jessica Ventoza will compete against Team USA July 10 in Spokane, Wash.

All three players said this is a dream come true to play against some of the top softball players in the world.

“I am really excited and it will be a fun experience to get to play against the best team in the world,” Ventoza said. “It will be a great experience. It will be tough but it will be fun because not too many girls get to play against the best in the world and the best players in the world. It will be fun to see what I can do against them and compete.”

Hillman is steal in disbelieve that she will be playing against the best in the world.

“It is awesome to say the least,” she said. “I have been playing the sport since I could remember and now I get to play against the best in the sport. It is hard to even think about it. Once I step on that field, it will be surreal.”

The three college players earned the right to play against Team USA through different avenues. University of Washington softball coach Heather Tarr asked Ventoza if she wanted to play against TEAM USA. Ventoza didn’t hesitate in saying yes, so Ventoza along with her Husky teammates Ashley Tuiasosopo and Alicia Blake will be facing the likes of Jennie Finch, Cat Ostermann and Monica Abbott.

“I am looking forward to meeting Jessica Mendoza and Crystal Bustos. That will be fun,” Ventoza said. “And then depending who pitches, it will be fun to play against Jennie Finch and Cat Ostermann. I am just excited for all of them and it will be a great experience.

While, Ventoza didn’t have to go through a try out to play against Team USA, Hillman and Marsico, both Rapid City natives, had to try out for the chance to play against the best softball team in the world. Only players with South Dakota ties, whether through high school or college were eligible to try out for the all-star team.

“Playing softball all my life [since I was six years old], I knew this was going to be my last year for collegiate softball and I could have my last game be with Armstrong or have an opportunity to play against the Olympic team,” Marsico said. “For me to say my last collegiate softball game was against Team USA, in the last year they had softball in the Olympics, is priceless.”

Hillman, who grew up as a pitcher in high school but has played first base primarily at Chadron State, said she had butterflies when trying out for the team.

“I had butterflies when trying out for the team that was going to play against the team, but it wasn’t like I was really nervous,” Hillman said. “At the same time, I thought, ‘what do you have to lose.’ It is a once in a lifetime thing for you so you have to go for it.”

It still hasn’t set in that the three are actually going to be playing against Team USA.

“I didn’t even know what to say when I found I made the team,” Hillman said. “It is just so big to me that even right now; I don’t think it has set in that I am going to play the US Olympic team. I know I am, but it hasn’t set in. I think once we start practicing it will hit me. I am stoked about it and excited. I am really excited and I think we will be having a really good group of girls and we will have a good team.”

Tickets for the Rapid City game July 15 at Post 320 Pete Lien Field are sold out. Marsico said at one time there was a waiting list of 700 individuals that wanted tickets, so they added another 500 seats to the baseball diamond that was turned into a softball field for the event.

Marsico and Hillman will start practices next week for the contest, and will also have a day where they can hang out with Team USA. Ventoza will also begin practice next week for her chance to play against the USA softball team.

Chances are that Team USA will come away with a win. Team USA lost just once on the Bound 4 Beijing tour sponsored by Kentucky Fried Chicken, and that was to the University of Virginia Tech 1-0. In fact, Team USA was no-hit by Virginia Tech, a team that made the College Softball World Series. Team USA has a 50-1 record so far on the tour.

“You have to be realistic, this is the US Olympic team, so you probably not are going to win,” Marsico said. “But we are going to try to give them the best competition. We can and put on a good show and try to win. But this is the best team in the World, so we probably not going to win.”

Ventoza and her Washington teammates had a chance to watch Team USA play in California in March when they went to a Cal-State Fullerton tournament in March and she it won’t be easy to pull out a win.

“Anything can happen. Virginia Tech beat them. I don’t know the girls I am playing with, but it will be fun. I am just going to go out and play and whatever happens, happens,” Ventoza said. “They are a lot bigger in person, but they are pretty nice. It was cool to step on the same field as them and now playing against them will be even better.”

For the three players, though, they won’t get a chance to play for Team USA since the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is eliminating the sport after this year.

“That would be amazing to get to play for Team USA,” Ventoza said, “But, I know they are taking it out of the Olympics and it is unfortunate for the softball world because it is starting to get big and grow a lot. It would be great to play on a USA team of some sort.”

Marsico and Hillman agreed.

“It is a huge disappointment that they are taking it out of the Olympics just because it is associated with baseball,” the WNCC career home run hitter said. “I think they overlook softball and the kind of competition and vive it brings to the Olympics. Just because Team USA is so dominate, I don’t that is a good enough reason to take it out of the Olympics. I think it is a huge sport especially for women’s sports. A lot of women’s sports are overlooked.”

Hillman said dropping softball from the Olympics will be a big blow to the sport.

“I think [dropping softball at the Olympics] will be a big hit to softball in general,” she said. “That was the epitome or as high as you could get in softball, and now we are not going to have that. I think it will take a hit to the softball programs.”

Marsico, in fact, is thankful to get the opportunity to play another softball game. In fact, she never thought she would even have this kind of softball success coming from Rapid City. Marisco played for the Cougars in 2005 and 2006, and them played the last two years at Armstrong Atlantic, earning pre-season conference honors her senior season.

“Being from Rapid City, there are not a whole lot of opportunities to play college softball,” she said. “When I had the chance to come to Western Nebraska, I didn’t know what to expect at all. After I had a good sophomore season, I never thought I would be in Savannah, Georgia. And now since I am here, I never thought I would be playing Team USA.

“It is every girls dream to do play for Team USA or keep playing after college, and they do have those women’s fast pitch leagues. But, I think it is a good way to end my career against team USA.”