Mizzou Insider: Mack Continues Emergence For The Tigers
1/13/2016 1:58:00 PM | Softball
Junior catcher enjoyed breakout season in 2015
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As Mizzou Softball fans sit in the stands at University Field, they'll certainly hear one individual belting out signals and directions to her teammates.
Listen up!
Four, Four, Four!
Left, Left, Left!
Cut two!
Junior Kirsten Mack (Riverside, Calif.) has made 82 starts behind the plate for head coach Ehren Earleywine the past two seasons. As the Tigers' primary catcher, Mack has quickly evolved into one of the team's top leaders on and off the field.
Mack arrived to Mid-Missouri in 2014 following an outstanding career at Arlington High School in Riverside, Calif. (located 54 miles outside of Los Angeles). Currently, Mack is one of five Tigers who reside from California as Mizzou has maintained its successful tradition of pulling talented players from The Golden State.
In her freshman season in Columbia, Mo., Mack was a strong figure behind the dish as she committed just three errors while managing a Tigers' pitching staff that accumulated a strong 2.72 ERA.
Last season, Mack not only improved her strong defensive play but she elevated her offensive firepower to another level. After posting three home runs in 2014, the second-year Tiger slammed a team-leading 15 home runs in 2015. With the aid of Mack's breakout season at the plate, Mizzou's 79 total home runs ranked second-most in a single season in program history.
With any collegiate sport, the ability for a student-athlete to make adjustments and successfully transition from their freshman to sophomore campaign is vital. For Mack, the key to her new prosperity was quite simple.
"I was a lot more relaxed," Mack exclaimed. "I was able to control my heart rate better in key situations. I trained myself to be calm and trust my capabilities. In my freshman season, I was high strung and had a higher heart rate while playing. In my sophomore season, I was more relaxed and trusted myself more. Coach E and I really clicked and we both knew how we wanted to attack at the plate. It's all about confidence and I had a lot of that my sophomore campaign."
As Mack continues to use her newfound techniques at practice and on game days, expectations for her both individually and collectively as a team have certainly risen once again heading into the 2016 season.
"We know there's expectations for a lot of individuals and as a team but you have to put those aside because you have to stick to what works for you," Mack said. "As a team, I'm really excited about this freshman class. We have a different vibe to this year's team. In a good way. There's a lot of fresh talent and they're so willing to listen to everything the coaches and their teammates say. Everyone is buying in collectively. Our seniors have done a great job of setting a high standard and teaching the Mizzou Softball way to everyone. Getting back to the WCWS is a goal but we know we have to take each week one by one. We have to focus on the task at hand each time out."
One of Mack's most unheralded contributions to the Tigers is her ability to rise to the occasion. That characteristic has been on full display in each of her first two seasons in black and gold as she continues to deliver big time moments at the plate.
In 2014, Mack hit a massive two-run home run in Mizzou's 6-3 win over Kansas in NCAA Regional play. A year later, her postseason heroics came to fruition again as she smacked a grand slam and tallied a career-high five RBIs in the Tigers' NCAA Regional clinching win over Kansas.
With memorable moments already written on her Mizzou Softball career resume, Mack attributes her ability to prevail in the biggest moments to evolving as a player.
"I'm more confident in my abilities," Mack said. "I want to come through for my teammates. In my freshman year, I may have been scared to fail but now I want to be in those big situations. I want to succeed. You have to be relaxed at the plate. That's a great trait for anyone who wants to succeed in those types of situations."
As the 2016 Mizzou Softball season opener quickly approaches, Tiger fans can look forward to another season of excellent leadership, sound play behind the plate and memorable moments from Mack. University Field will welcome the Riverside, Calif., native and the rest of the Tigers' roster on March 16, 2016, with their home opening doubleheader against Western Illinois.
Visit MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou Softball. You can also find the Tigers on social media by liking us on Facebook (University of Missouri Softball Team) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@MizzouSoftball).
