Fatima senior Mia Kliethermes is gearing up for another successful softball campaign this fall, but she’s equally excited about her decision to verbally commit to pitch for the University of Pittsburgh Lady Panthers.

Kliethermes noted that her plans for a Division I opportunity didn’t include Pitt in the beginning. “They weren’t even on my radar,” she said, adding that she attributes her involvement in the 16U Kansas City Select softball team over the last few years as the basis for the chance to pitch at Pitt. “I visited four other D-I schools, and just wasn’t sure at that time. When you go on your visits, you meet the coaching staff and the girls, and see the school, the facilities, and the campus.”

Many college coaches attend summer tournaments to watch potential players as part of the recruitment process. Kliethermes said she was happy to get plenty of looks at the tournament in Colorado this summer, where her team finished ninth. She visited Wichita State, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, and SEMO, before heading to Pitt. “When I flew out to Pitt by myself,” said Kliethermes. “Being so far away from home, I wanted to go by myself so that I could get that feeling of being away from everybody, and I fell in love with it. I fell in love with the city, the campus, the coaches, and the girls. The facilities are so nice and welcoming. I just felt like this was the place for me. It’s always been my dream to play at the highest level possible, and you know, being a Power Four school and being in the ACC — I felt that’s where I could really go and compete. I felt Pittsburgh was the best spot for me.”

Kliethermes and her team recently competed at the Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) national championship tournament in Huntington Beach, Calif.

She gained a lot of attention there from potential coaches, but her real opportunity, which led to the decision to attend the University of Pittsburgh, came at a different tournament.

“I got recruited by Pitt at Colorado,” said Kliethermes. “That’s why we go to those huge tournaments. They saw me pitching a game, talked to my coach, and asked if I could start the next day so they could get more looks at me. Then they said they would love to talk to me. That’s how the recruiting process works.”

Kliethermes added a big way to be noticed is by playing in high-level tournaments. “When you go to softball places like California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Chicago — all those big places and tournaments — there can be hundreds of coaches there and that’s where you can get recruited.”

College camps are another great option for aspiring players who want to be seen by coaches.

Collegiate coaches can begin recruiting high school players on Sept. 1 of their junior year, and Kliethermes is eager to play for Pitt but has no illusions about her role. “I am one of four pitchers joining the team, and 12 freshmen are coming to Pitt, which is a very large number. I’m going to be fighting for a spot with three other girls, and they didn’t really tell me what my role was going to be. They said, ‘We really like your stuff, and we want you to develop under us.’ I’m going to have to work really hard and earn that position; nothing will be given to me.”

Kliethermes has plenty of high-level softball experience. In 2018, she and former teammate Kinzey Woody played together on the Missouri Stealth 12U-B team, which tied for ninth in the Midwest national tournament.

The pair played ball together before they started kindergarten, progressing through t-ball and coach pitch and then traveling ball before joining the Stealth team in 2018.

In the national tournament that year, Kliethermes pitched one complete game, racking up nine strikeouts on the way to the low to mid-50s from the rubber.

Their paths split, and though they played for different teams, the goal was the same: to earn an opportunity to play for a Division I school.

While Woody played up with her teammates in 18U, Kliethermes chose to play in the 16U league.

“I felt it was better for me to stay with my age group and continue to develop my skills,” said Kliethermes, who plans to play 18U next summer before heading to Pitt. “

Kliethermes and Woody will again take to the diamond together, and there is definitely some pressure to perform, though she doesn’t let that get to her. “Part of me is like, I can’t wait to get to college, but you have to realize you’re not there yet. You could easily fall off, and I think high school is a good example of that. There are still a lot of super good teams that are going to get to you if you don’t bring your A game. You can’t walk in there and think that they’re automatically going to lose to you because you’re so-and-so who committed to play at a D-I school. That’s just not how it works. I have the same mindset in travel ball that I have for high school ball: respect everybody, but when you step on that field, fear nobody. I don’t care if you’re playing the highest level possible or, you know, a small-town team; they can easily beat you on any given day. You’ve got to work hard, put your head down, and get the win one way or another.”

Kliethermes is focused on pitching, which will be her role at Pitt. “I like just pitching and not having to worry about hitting,” she said. “Pitching has been my life, and I’m glad it’s helping me go to college.”

She acknowledges that her role is but one of many, as the team aspect is vital to success. “I know I’m not perfect,” said Kliethermes. “I am going to make mistakes, but I also know how important it is to battle through them and keep my head in the game. My family always tells me that I’m no less of a pitcher just because I fail at times.”

Toward that end, Kliethermes expressed gratitude for the support her family has shown. “My mom would take me most of the time to almost every tournament, and my dad would come when he could, but he’s always back home watching every single one of my games and texting me afterward, giving me critiques or saying how proud he is of me. I’m very blessed to have the support that I do.”

As Kliethermes prepares for her final season in the Blue & Gold, she is aware of her role as a leader for the Lady Comets. “As a senior, I need to help the younger kids develop and improve,” she said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how we come together as a team again this year.”

Fatima returns to the diamond after two straight championship seasons, but Kliethermes has a solid perspective. “There will be pressure to return to the Final Four, but all we can do is go out every game and play our best,” she said.

Kliethermes plans to sign a letter of intent in November.