Maisto selects Upper Iowa University

For the better part of her high school softball career, Burlington Central's Erica Maisto wasn't really looking to play college softball.

But with the success she's had in her career for the Rockets, that thought pattern began to change earlier this season -- albeit with a little help from a family friend.

On Tuesday, Maisto verbally committed to play softball and attend college on scholarship the next four years at NCAA Division II Upper Iowa University.

"I really liked the campus and I thought it was a place I could fit in," said Maisto, who is 16-0 pitching this season for BC as it enters Class 3A sectional play on Thursday.

"I had planned to focus on academics only and go to Illinois State but I met the coach at Upper Iowa and she was really nice. After playing these last four years it's something I think I can do in college."

Maisto's first contact with Upper Iowa and coach Christina Missildine came through Joe Garbarski, a close family friend of the Maistos who coached Erica when she played for the Wasco Diamonds summer organization.

"If he wouldn't have pushed me to pursue it there would have been no way this would have happened," said Maisto, who has won a school and area record 76 games in her career. "Huge props go to him. He's been so supportive of me. Even when the season started I thought this season would be it. But once Mr. Garbarski started e-mailing me about the school my dad (Wade) started looking into it more and I decided to take the visit.

"Even going out there, on the way, I really didn't want to like it. But when I got out there and started meeting the people I loved it."

Maisto, who will join former Central teammate Amanda Gargantiel at Upper Iowa, will study math education and aspires to be a high school math teacher and a coach. She carries a 3.82 GPA and ranks 27th in her class of 257.

Upper Iowa plays in the Northern Sun Conference, where it finished 9-9 this season.