Tia Warsop, who has been a key player -- and one of the youngest players -- on the GB Senior Women's Fastpitch Team over the past two years, and the BSF's Young Fastpitch Player of the Year for 2022, started her US college career this past September at one of the country's top teams, Oklahoma State University. In an article on the OSU website, Tia talks about how much it means to her to play for the country where she was born.
Tia Warsop's path to the Oklahoma State softball team is unique.
At just 17 years old, she was selected to play for Team Great Britain at the 2022 European Softball Senior Women's National Championship and helped the squad to a silver medal finish by leading the team in at-bats (34), stolen bases (6), runs (12), hits (13), and doubles (3). She played a pivotal role in Great Britain achieving its highest European Championship finish since 2009.
Now, she's a key figure in a team that has established its presence on the international softball stage and is rising in the world rankings, just as the sport is making its long-awaited return to the Olympics in 2028.
Born in Northampton, England, Warsop spent the first four years of her life on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. After her father received a job offer, the family moved more than 4,600 miles away to Dallas.
Growing up, Warsop was encouraged to play a sport by her parents, not only to stay in shape, but also to make friends and build relationships in her new home.
"I first started soccer or, you know, football," Warsop said. "I did not like it at all, but my parents wanted me in a sport. They knew someone in our neighborhood who was doing softball, so they put me on the same little rec-ball team with them. Ever since then, I've just played softball, really."
She was hooked. Warsop fell in love with the game.
As she got older, she made the leap from recreational softball to high-level travel ball with the Texas Glory.
"It was so fun," Warsop said. "It's all summer long, so you don't really get a break. But you're around awesome people, awesome coaches. My favorite part was getting to travel places like Colorado, California, Florida, and Oklahoma."
Following standout performances with Glory, Warsop was invited to join the Great Britain youth ranks, earning playing time with the Under-18 and Under-22 teams. After an impressive high school junior season in which she was named the Dallas Morning News All-DFW Player of the Year, Warsop was rewarded with her first senior national team call up for the 2022 European Championship.
"It was awesome," Warsop said. "Obviously, that's where I was born, the country I honour, and it felt so good to be able to play for where I was born,
"It was scary at first, because I knew some of the girls are so much older and I was one of the youngest, but it was so cool. I wouldn't say it was a learning block for me, but it definitely took me a while to adjust."
Looking back at her time during the European Championships, Warsop remembers the pride she felt every time she wore the Great Britain uniform.
"Not many people get the opportunity in general, but to do it so early on was awesome," Warsop said. "Every single time you make even the smallest win, it feels so good because it's almost like you're holding the country on your back."
Following the summer of 2022, Warsop returned to the U.S. to finish out her high school career. In her senior year at Mansfield Lake Ridge, she was named to the DFW All-Metroplex first team and was second team all-area by the Dallas Morning News.
While those awards and accolades are all appreciated by Warsop, there's one recognition that stands above all others. In February of 2023, she was named the 2023 British Young Fastpitch Player of the Year for her play during the European Championship.
"It was such an honour because when I got the text, I told my mom and she said 'oh, my gosh, I used to watch that on TV,'" Warsop said. "Then I was like, 'oh my gosh, that is so cool that people would watch that on TV. So, it was awesome to have that honour and my grandma was so proud."
After a successful first stint with the senior national team, Warsop was called up again in 2023 to represent her country for the WBSC World Cup Qualifiers in Ireland. This time, however, she'd be playing under a different coach, with former NCAA national champion Tara Henry taking over the reins for Great Britain softball.
From her first experience with Warsop, Henry recognised her potential and how important she could be for the team.
"Tia is one of the younger players on our team, and when she arrived at our training camp, her and another athlete had quite a long summer with their respective travel ball teams, so they were kind of tired when they got there," Henry explained. "Tia is special in that she's got an incredible ability in the field, she's quick, she's a triple threat. She can bunt, hit, and slap, she's a true competitor. She's a little quiet on the outside, but I think on the inside she's got this burning desire and burning flame within her,
"She loves to compete, and it was great to have her be a part of the squad and for us to have a dynamic athlete like Tia Warsop."
Warsop arrived at the World Cup Qualifiers full of confidence and earned the nod as the leadoff batter for her country. She played a pivotal role in her team securing victories over Chinese Taipei, Australia and Ireland during the competition and maintained a .333 batting average to go with a team-high three runs scored. Warsop finished the tournament tied for first among all players in the competition with three stolen bases.
Although her country narrowly missed out on qualification for the World Cup Finals, Warsop still looks back at her time in the tournament fondly and believes the best is yet to come for Great Britain softball.
"It was so cool because we had new coaches, and just seeing the way our team grew," Warsop said. "Even though the outcome wasn't what we wanted, it was just awesome seeing we can compete with those teams. If we went back, I really think we would win it all."
Henry said she was thrilled with Warsop's growth during the summer, as the speedy outfielder brought energy to the team and made huge strides with her development during the tournament.
"I think towards the end of the World Cup we saw how beneficial it was to have her at the top of the lineup," Henry said. "She is a fire-starter. She puts the ball in play and can do so many things. Really, to have an 18-year-old athlete at the top of your women's national team, setting the tone, it was incredible to see her growth from our first date at training camp in London to the end of the Women's World Cup, just missing out on qualifying for the World Finals,
"Tia Warsop was a huge part of that and her ability to do so many things -- and not only get it done at the plate, but she also made some game-saving catches in moments where great players are able to make those plays. I'm just excited to have her be a part of our programme and can't wait to see what she does with the Cowgirls as well."
Now, Warsop turns her attention to her freshman year at Oklahoma State, where she and the Cowgirls look for a fifth-straight appearance in the NCAA Women's College World Series. With her proven play on the international stage, it's exciting to think about what Warsop can bring to Stillwater and what the future holds for this Cowgirl.