ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLAMERICA.COM
Katie Dack has all intentions of growing as a softball player and person over the next few years, and she isn’t going to settle for anything less. Thus, playing for a coaching staff and a team that can push her to the next level in her life fueled her decision to enter the transfer portal.
Coming from a Texas A&M program that went through a significant coaching change at the end of last season, Dack felt like it was time for her to look elsewhere. Upon entering the portal, a phone call from Florida State’s assistant coach Travis Wilson made her dreams become a reality back in October.
“FSU has always been my dream school,” Dack said. “When I got a call from Coach Travis Wilson, I was freaking out. I have always wanted to go there, so I jumped at the chance.”
Appearing in four of the last seven Women’s College World Series, Florida State is exactly what Dack wanted from her college softball experience.
“In my short time spent with the program already, I know that they have big standards for themselves and they are all about family and supporting one another,” Dack said. “Their ability to win the World Series was a factor for me, but the biggest thing was a place where I could find a new family.”
With three seasons of NCAA eligibility remaining, Dack will join Florida State's team next month at the start of the spring semester, when she hopes to step into a significant role behind the plate.
“This offseason, I have been putting in a lot of work with framing and doing throw downs,” Dack said. “I have been communicating with Coach (Kaleigh) Rafter and we have been working through the conditioning side of catching.”
One thing Dack is looking forward to upon joining the rest of her teammates is how she can best help the pitching staff perform to its greatest potential. Dack believes the more comfortable pitchers and catchers are with each other, the better they can communicate on the field during games.
“I haven’t been able to talk to the pitchers a lot yet, but once we get in person, I want to learn what they like, what they dislike and what I can do for them as their catcher,” Dack said. “That's the most important thing for them, is to feel comfortable with me coming in, so they can play their best game.”
Aside from being a catcher, Dack prides herself on being able to play any position on the field. Aside from catching, she made appearances in left field and as the designated player last season. This season, she is more than ready to help the Seminoles in any way possible, even if that means playing a different position than the ones she is used to.
“I think it is super important to be well-versed because there’s always new people coming in and you have to be able to play more than one position if you want to keep yourself in the lineup,” Dack said.
In her rookie season of college softball, Dack put up impressive numbers at the plate. The Second-Team All-SEC selection batted .303 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs in 2022, and has lofty goals for 2023.
“I have really been working on the mental side of hitting this offseason,” Dack said. “Working on what I know is best for me and my plans. I have been hitting off of a Hack Attack machine, which simulates a pitcher the best a machine can.”
Dack is optimistic about her next three years at Florida State, and her focus is not only on becoming a better player, but also helping the Seminoles improve in more ways than one. Whether that’s with her catching, her bat or in the dugout, she just wants to add to the team’s success and win some championships along the way.
“My personal goal for this season would just be to get better every day and contribute to the team,” Dack said. “A long-term goal for me would be to win the World Series.”
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