Corina Maratea leads Aurora Central Catholic

What’s in a name?

A lot according to Corina Maratea of ​​Aurora Central Catholic. And the senior pitcher doesn’t need a Shakespearean scholar to explain it to her, either.

A 5-foot-4 but powerful right-handed pitcher, Maratea set the program’s single-season winning record last season when she went 16-4 with a 1.97 ERA. But his last name was Miller.

“It’s definitely Maratea now,” she said. “I’m really proud of it because it’s for my stepfather, Jesse Maratea. He’s my dad, I don’t call him my stepdad. When I turned 18, I told him I wanted to change my last name. I’d been thinking about it for a long time.

“He’s been in my life since I was 8 years old and I think I’m the closest to him out of everyone in this world. I was the only one in my house with the last name Miller. In January I did all the paperwork, I went to get it changed.”

For the 2026 season, Maratea also has a new coach who carries his new name.

Paul Netzel, who spent the last three seasons in Oswego and co-coached the Panthers to the Class 4A state championship last spring with Annie Scaramuzzi, was hired in December.

“It was time for Annie to take over the program,” said Netzel, who applied for the ACC job after learning coach Mark Pasqualini had resigned to take the assistant role at Benedictine.

Maratea, meanwhile, has also changed her mind about her future.

Last year, she committed to NCAA Division III at Illinois College. But she reopened her recruitment and has since committed to the NCAA Division II Georgia Court in New Jersey.

Kiwi Moran, an assistant at Illinois College, was also Maratea’s assistant coach while traveling with the Chicago Cheetahs. She then accepted a position as an assistant at Marian in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

“I was still happy with my decision, but when she left, it was a little weird,” said Maratea, who received a call a week later from Jim Gleason, Georgian Court’s new coach.

He had seen her throw with the Cheetahs at a summer tournament on the East Coast.

“I kind of thought I was a little overlooked recruiting-wise,” Maratea said. “I realized I should start looking. It was kind of thrown in my face.”

After visiting Georgian Court, located halfway between New York and Philadelphia in Lakewood, New Jersey, Gleason made an offer and Maratea accepted.

“He had seen me throw, but it was months later, and when he first called he asked me how tall I was because he had watched me from afar,” Maratea said. “When I told him, he didn’t care. He just likes the way I throw the ball and the fact that I’m not afraid to go after hitters. That’s one thing I really liked when I talked to him.

“It’s a better opportunity at a higher level.”

Maratea worked extensively with private pitching coach Jill Waldron and trained physically with Mark Nilles.

“It’s basically because of them that I am the player I am today,” Maratea said. “Big schools are looking for 6-foot pitchers. I wish I was 6-foot, but I have to work with what I have.

“I’ve been working on improving my speed and I’m in better shape.”

This spring, Maratea will also spend more time in the lineup, whether she pitches or not.

“She’s a good hitter,” said Netzel, who sees her at the top of his batting order.

The ACC only has 13 players on the roster, but Netzel thinks the Chargers can do well after a 23-win season.

“Especially with Corina pitching,” he said. “And if we can have a good defense, I think we can get to a section. We just have to bounce the ball our way.”