Varying shades of blue and gold have defined Mysha Sataraka’s on-field look for quite a while now.

This summer, however, is all about red, white and blue for Sataraka, a Punahou graduate, rising sophomore at UCLA and current member of the U.S. Junior Women’s National softball team.

"Before putting on the jersey at practice it’s kind of just another team. But when you put it on you see what you’re really representing, it’s kind of unreal," Sataraka said in a recent phone interview.

"It’s bigger than just you. You’re representing your country, where you came from. It’s just really exciting."

Sataraka got the first stamp in her passport last week when the team crossed over into Canada in advance of the International Softball Federation Junior Women’s World Championship.

Her international debut comes Monday when the U.S. opens the 19-and-under championship against Great Britain in Brampton, Ontario. The U.S. also faces the Czech Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Canada and Korea in pool play. The bracket portion of the tournament runs July 5-7.

Sataraka, a two-sport standout at Punahou who played club softball with Kaikamahine, was among the 17 players named to the junior national team by USA Softball’s selection committee out of a pool of 40 candidates.

When she received word of her selection in March, "it was just a big shocker," Sataraka said.

The team convened for workouts shortly after the college season, and Sataraka led Team USA at the plate in its pre-tournament tour. She hit a team-high .571 (8-for-14) with four home runs and 12 runs batted in over six exhibition games while splitting time defensively at first and third base. She launched three homers and drove in seven runs in a doubleheader with the Glenville All-Stars last Monday in their stop in West Virginia.

The intensity and stakes pick up this week at the 10th junior women’s world championship, in which the U.S. went 20-1 while winning gold medals in 2007 and 2011.

"It’s a little bit of pressure, but we just want to do our best," Sataraka said. "We practice pretty much every day just working hard to bring the gold home."

Although intrigued by the opportunity awaiting in the summer, Sataraka kept the selection in the background through the spring as she powered through her freshman season at UCLA.

A year after being named the Star-Advertiser All-State Position Player of the Year, Sataraka started 41 games, primarily at third base, and hit .276 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs for the Bruins. She was an All-Pac-12 honorable-mention pick and made the conference’s all-freshman team.

"I just learned a lot about myself. Coming from Hawaii, it’s just a lot different," Sataraka said. "I definitely matured through the year, playing-wise, personal-wise, everything."

The Bruins’ season ended with a 13-inning loss to UAB in the final round of the Louisville Regional, and Sataraka spent five days in Hawaii before heading out to train with a junior national team made up of players representing nine states.

The team is led by Cal State Northridge head coach Tairia Flowers, a two-time Olympic gold medalist. She’s assisted by Oregon State’s Laura Berg (another former Olympian), Fresno State’s Trisha Ford and UNLV’s Lisa Dodd.

"It’s a really cool experience because we come from all over the country," Sataraka said. "It’s crazy that we’re all so different but we’re jelling and clicking well as a team right off the bat.

"My teammates are welcoming and energetic, cheering me on even though we’ve known each other for less than a week. It really helps when you have your teammates back you up 100 percent."