Every coach of every sport desires to have a dominant player who can not only play the game at a high level but also lead their team during moments of adversity. For the Furr Brahmans varsity softball team, that player is senior pitcher Marissa Martinez.
“Marissa is a great player,” said Furr head coach Prentis Hightower. “She is our ace, team captain and leads our team in batting average. Overall, she is a great student-athlete.”
Martinez studies the game of former University Oklahoma players Jocelyn Alo and Grace Lyons Turk. Alo, a two-time national champion, is the NCAA all-time leader in home runs (122) and holds the Women’s College World Series home run record with 12 in her career. Turk, another dominant player, is a three-time national champion who through five seasons held a batting average of .354 and started 261 total games.
“Both of them play at a very high level,” said Martinez. “They play good defense and their batting averages are amazing. I like how they had a love for the game and made the transition from high school, but also were able to effectively lead their team while on their journey.”
Marissa Martinez
IG: @m.martinezz3
Position: Pitcher
Height & weight: 5-feet-7, 185 pounds
Players she studies: Jocelyn Alo (Oklahoma City Spark), Grace Lyons Turk
Status: Uncommitted
Favorite artist: Ivan Cornejo
Favorite subject: Precalculus
Shout-outs: Family, Furr High School
Martinez’s softball journey began when she was four years old. Growing up in an area where softball didn’t start until six years old forced Martinez to play baseball first.
“It started with tee-ball in Jacinto City Little League playing with the boys,” said Martinez. “I was the hardest hitter because of my height and how much strength I had. When I turned six, I got my opportunity to play softball, but I took the lessons learned from baseball with me to the softball diamond.”
Martinez’s older brother, Jacob Valles, was an avid baseball player. He helped train the younger undeveloped Martinez through various drills.
“My brother played varsity baseball all four years while at Furr High School,” said Martinez. “He and I practiced together with various drills when I was younger. We worked on throwing, fielding, and footwork to get faster while running the bases. I found my love for the game from him.”
Martinez has been a varsity starter on the Furr High School softball team all four years. They are currently in first place in 4A Region III District 21.
“Over the years I’ve become more competitive and a more vocal leader on the team,” said Martinez. “I try to not only use my leadership skills to motivate the younger players on the diamond but also while at school to become a better person overall.”
For Martinez softball is more than a game, it’s part of her identity.
“Softball helped me transition into high school. During middle school, I had a lot of problems with people coming in and out of my life. Softball allowed me to gain an identity as well as another family; a group of girls who stuck together through adversity and bonded while having fun,” said Martinez.
As Furr’s ace pitcher, batting leader and team captain, Martinez still finds time to continue working on her craft.
“Being humble is very important because there are a lot of really good players out there and being too cocky isn’t the best mindset to be in and can lead you to not being a very good player. So, I choose to be humble and keep working to get better,” said Martinez.
Martinez has yet to decide on a collegiate program for next season but would like to continue her pursuit of playing softball while studying Kinesiology.
“I understand softball can’t last forever, so originally I was thinking of studying special education. But I love sports and I love helping people, so I feel kinesiology could allow me to do both,” said Martinez.
Martinez thinks back to the advice her brother gave her while inspiring younger athletes to keep playing despite their fears of having bad games.
“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game,” said Martinez.
