Michele Granger Makes Her College Decision: She’ll Attend California

Michele Granger, considered the country’s premier softball pitcher, will attend college at California, she announced Monday.

Granger, 18, a senior at Valencia High School, was one of the country’s most recruited high school athletes this season. In addition to California, Granger had taken trips to UCLA, Northwestern, Penn State and Texas A&M.;

She made her decision Sunday night, after narrowing her choices to UCLA and Cal. Granger, who will sign a letter of intent as soon as it arrives in the mail, said the final selection was difficult.

“It just didn’t get any easier,” she said. “But some instinct drew me toward Cal. UCLA obviously has a great softball program. But Cal isn’t quite as close to home, yet it’s not thousands and thousands of miles away.”

California’s softball team, with a 33-19 record, is currently ranked 14th in the nation.

Granger has attracted the attention of college scouts since she pitched on a national champion 18-and-under team when she was in the eighth grade. She is currently coming off a year of impressive accomplishments.

Last summer, Granger--who throws a 70 m.p.h. fastball--pitched the United States softball team to a gold medal at the Pan American games in Indianapolis. She also led the United States’ junior team to a world championship, won the women’s fast-pitch nationals where she was named the most valuable player and led the Orange County Majestics to third place in the Olympic Sports Festival.

This week Granger will travel to Washington for the U.S. Olympic Committee’s selection of the Sportsperson of the Year, an award presented last year to track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Granger, one of several nominees for the award, was named the women’s softball player of the year by the U.S.O.C. for the second straight year.

In addition to her national and international athletic accomplishments, Granger has left her mark at the high school level. She holds national records for single season strikeouts (509), career strikeouts (1,407), career no-hit games (35), career perfect games (8) and single season perfect games (3). She has also tied national records for single season no-hit games (11) and consecutive strikeouts in a single game (21).

But Granger has faltered slightly this season with Valencia. Though she has pitched eight no-hitters, including three perfect games, Granger has a 14-3 record, with two of the losses coming in Orange League play. Whereas in past years she has averaged 18 strikeouts a game, she is currently averaging 13, according to Valencia Coach Debbie Fassel.

Both Granger and her coach are pleased to have the college decision over with.

“(Monday) she seemed like a ton of bricks was lifted off her shoulders,” Fassel said.

Granger, who plans to study either political science or mass communications, said she felt a lot of relief.

“I slept really well Sunday for the first time in a long time,” Granger said. “I’m really looking forward to going to college.”