Gladstone senior Tia Schone (middle) poses fora photo with her parents James Schone (left) and Martha Schone after signing her letter of intent with Grand Rapids Community College on May 6, 2025 at Gladstone High School. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

GLADSTONE — Ever since she was a little girl Tia Schone has been a softball player at heart.

And after nearly a decade of growth, glory, trial, tribulations and successes she made her next step in the softball world official. Schone signed her letter of intent with Grand Rapids Community College on Tuesday.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know more people and being able to showcase my skill set on a larger stage,” Schone said. “I’m really excited for this opportunity. It’s something that not everybody gets to experience, and I’m super, super excited to play for GRCC. I love the coaches and the players have been nice.”

Schone first came familiar with the coaching staff at GRCC during a camp her freshman year of high school. Now she’s set to be a pitcher and utility player for the Raiders beginning in the 2026 season with a possible matchup at Bay College in the cards.

“I definitely wanted to stay close enough to home, but I also did want to get out of town,” Schone said. “I wanted to go see more places and start fresh with people who don’t know who I am. I want to go show the skill set I have and put the U.P. more on the map. I’m from Gladstone, and that’s something I’m really proud of.”

To say that Schone has found success as part of Gladstone’s dominant softball program, which currently ranks No.4 in the state of Michigan in Division 3, would be a severe understatement.

She earned First Team All-State honors as a sophomore which saw the Braves become literal inches from reaching the state semifinal round in 2023.

Her junior season was spent on the bench as she recovered from a substantial knee injury during the back half of basketball season.

Yet, in 2025, she picked up right where she left off both in the pitcher’s circle and the batter’s box.

Entering Tuesday’s games against Marquette she possesses a .642 batting average with two home runs and 32 RBIs. She’s also struck out once across 53 at bats with a .661 on-base percentage.

In the circle she’s equally dominant. Across 54 2/3 innings she has a record of 12-0 with a 1.02 ERA, a 0.622 WHIP. Of the 199 baters she’s faced so far she’s accumulated 102 strikeouts and walked six batters. She also threw a six-inning perfect game in the Braves’ season opener against Ishpeming Westwood and needed 79 pitches to throw a perfect game against Kingsford, which featured 16 strikeouts, on Monday.

Braves head coach Scott Herioux described Schone as a true softball player who’s equally as effective as a pitcher, batter and can play any position on the field.

“She is savvy, ultra competitive, confident and full of positive energy,” Herioux said. “She’s a great teammate. GRCC is getting a difference maker.”