In The Spotlight For Samoa

STARKVILLE – For years before she ever stepped foot in Starkville, Mississippi State was on Matalasi Faapito's mind.

In high school she worked out under the shadow of flags representing her coach's former players who had gone on to play collegiately. With every pitch she threw, she caught a flash of maroon and white in the corner of her eye.

"I'd see Pac-12 schools and SEC schools, but Mississippi State was literally right next to me when I was pitching, so I always noticed it. Knowing Sarai [Niu] and that she was Samoan and that she went there, it was always an option."

So when Samantha Ricketts called this summer after Faapito had entered the transfer portal, MSU didn't seem like such a reach for the California native.

"It was a great conversation," Faapito said. "I felt like we connected instantly. I'd known who she was for a long time even though it was our first time talking."

If her name didn't give it away, which Faapito said it often does when she's in class, the Bulldog newcomer is the latest in State's line of Samoan softball players. And for a young Polynesian softball player, the opportunity to play for Ricketts was one that would be hard to turn down.

Faapito grew up watching Ricketts and her sister, Keilani, play for Oklahoma where they garnered All-American accolades. When Ricketts landed the head coaching job in Starkville, it became a simple decision for Faapito.

"Everybody knows the Ricketts name. There's so many more Poly girls that are playing softball, and when they talk about Ricketts, everybody knows who Ricketts is," she said. "Knowing that Coach Ricketts is one of the first Polynesian head coaches really caught my eye. I wanted to play under someone that was Polynesian."

That distinction was especially important to Faapito because she has a passion for helping young Polynesian girls and women grow into more than they thought they could be. It began in high school, when a vacation to see her extended family in American Samoa turned into a last-minute and life-changing service opportunity.

Even from California, it takes some time to get to the Samoan island of Tutuila. First, there's the five-hour flight to Hawaii, but that's just the first leg. From there, it's another five-hour flight to reach the tiny island. At 76.8 square miles, the territory is just three times the size of the city of Starkville.

The entire island has a single road with a speed limit of 25 miles per hour, and you can cross it in roughly two hours. Faapito pointed out that the islanders don't have much.

A family friend who is the principal of a local school in Samoa had asked the Faapitos if they could bring any softball equipment to donate. They went a step further. All of her travel ball teammates donated gear, and Faapito worked a camp, coaching the local children for three hours that day.

"If you go out there and see the girls and what they wear, their uniforms, they are wearing my uniform, my pants, my shoes. It looks like my whole travel team out there," she said. "It's cool seeing that they are wearing what I used to wear when I was younger."

In the days after her camp coaching, girls would wave to her in her car and remember her as the college softball player. For many, Faapito said the game came naturally, but most Samoan girls never get an opportunity to play it because they are busy with chores, church events and school.

While she continues the Samoan legacy in Starkville, bringing her culture to the SEC, Faapito takes more pride in bringing softball back to Samoa.

"They don't have what we have with technology and competition to get better, and training. Showing them how good they could be is my goal and why I love going out there," she said. "I'm showing the Samoan girls back home, by playing softball in Mississippi. For the girls, they are known for taking care of their family, but you can do that by getting off the island, getting your college degree and doing something you love."

It's important because without people like the Ricketts sisters, Sarai Niu, Fa Leilua, Chloe Malau'ulu, Leilani Pulemau or Matalasi Faapito, young girls may never pursue their talents and dreams.

"They are definitely my role models," Faapito said of the Ricketts family. "I never pictured myself in Mississippi, but seeing all of the Poly women that came before me means so much because I was watching them play. Seeing other Polynesian women playing at the level that we are now, made me want to work harder and be just like them."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Matalasi Faapito

Fa Leilua

Chloe Malau'ulu

Leilani Pulemau

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