Now in her third year, junior McKenna Clewett has established herself as one of the leaders of the UC San Diego softball team. Having made 88 starts at second base over her first two seasons, Clewett has moved over to shortstop, where she's begun all 24 games in 2015. She's racked up 95 hits, 50 runs and 41 RBI while holding a career batting average of .307. Clewett was a second-team All-California Collegiate Athletic Association selection as a sophomore after finishing second on the team with a .372 batting average. Additionally, she has helped push her team to two NCAA Championship berths. With the Tritons, who are currently 16-8 overall and 9-7 in league play, headed to Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sunday after winter quarter final exams this week, we had a chance to catch up with the Escondido native and get her thoughts on a variety of topics.
Q: The team had an early 11-game win streak, which was the longest single-season run since 2001. What has been the key to the success the team has had so far?
CLEWETT: The key has been teamwork and everyone working together as a unit. I think it also boils down to everyone making the adjustments they need to, when they need to. During our 11-game winning streak, the whole team was very successful and everyone contributed in some way.
Q: How did you get started playing softball?
CLEWETT: I started playing softball when I was around five years old. My mom had played her entire life, and my sister, who is two years older than me, also played.
Q: What were some of the factors that made you decide to come to UCSD?
CLEWETT: The biggest factors for me were definitely the education I would receive, the high-quality softball team, and also the fact that I live here. I knew that a degree from UCSD would really bring a lot of opportunities my way after graduation. Two years before I came in, our softball team were national champions, and the year before I came, they were runners-up, so I knew the team had high expectations and amazing talent, and I wanted to be a part of that.
Q: How would you describe your role on this year's team? How has it changed from past years?
CLEWETT: My role on the team has definitely changed throughout the years. I feel that this year, I have really stepped up and taken more of a leadership role, while in past years there were already established leaders.
Q: What is the most difficult aspect of playing shortstop?
CLEWETT: Shortstop is a very complicated position on the field. It's challenging, but also incredibly fun to play there. I would say the most difficult aspect of playing shortstop would have to be the communication aspect. The shortstop is the leader of the infield, and it's my job to make sure everyone is on the same page every pitch,meaning that we all know where the play is, and where we're going to throw to if the ball is hit to us.
Q: Lots of new faces this season with 10 newcomers. Of that group, who has stepped up the most so far as an important contributor?
CLEWETT: We do have 10 new people on the team, and I was a little skeptical coming in. I wasn't sure how well we were all going to mesh, but it's been nothing short of spectacular. I think every new person, as well as the returners, push hard every day, and every one of them brings something new and a different talent to the table.
Q: Can you tell us about some of the personalities of the players on this year's squad?
CLEWETT: This year, we do have a lot of different personalities, but I think we all embrace it. We can always look to our sanguine sistas Ashley Chestnut and Kelsi Maday to make us laugh or keep the positive energy going. I would say that everyone has a really open and outgoing personality when we're around each other, and we all enjoy one another's company.
Q: Can you explain the significance behind the Thor doll that the team has in the dugout during games? Is he UCSD's good-luck charm?
CLEWETT: The Thor doll gives us motivation, and is just something silly to get us all in a good mood. There are times when we hold him up and say a cheer right before we go up to bat to give us all motivation and a feeling of strength and power. Plus, who doesn't love Thor?
Q: What series or game are you most looking forward to this season? Why?
CLEWETT: We're definitely looking forward to our series against Humboldt State (April 10-11 in La Jolla) the most because they're a good team and they're our biggest rival. We haven't been that successful against them in the past, but this year we have a strong team and I think we'll surprise them with our abilities as a unit.
Q: UCSD has already been tested on the road this season. What is the funniest thing that has happened when your team was traveling for an away series?
CLEWETT: The funniest thing that has happened to us on the road was in Monterey. They have a turf field, and while taking our warm-up jog, I toe picked and almost fell. I grabbed on to Alexis Edwards before I fell, so I almost took her down with me. It was pretty funny. Thankfully, other people did the same thing throughout the weekend.
Q: What has been the best part of working with Coach Gerckens and the rest of the UCSD coaching staff?
CLEWETT: I really love working with this coaching staff. They all have very positive things to say and really motivate each and every one of us to compete our best. I would say the best character-building element I've gained from playing here would be how to take constructive criticism. The coaching staff will critique things that I'm doing wrong, and I know it is going to help me in the long run. They also motivate us in the classroom. We send weekly updates to Coach G on how we're doing in our classes, and we also have weekly study halls to maintain our academic success. I think that's really important, because we're here to play softball, but to also receive an education, and the coaching staff really emphasizes that.
Q: Your favorite sports team is the Denver Broncos and your favorite athlete is Peyton Manning. As a California native, how did you become a Broncos fan? Does anyone on the team give you a hard time about it?
CLEWETT: I became a Peyton Manning fan many years ago when I first started watching the NFL. His mannerisms and the way he led the Colts really stood out to me and I admired him for that. I followed him from the Colts to the Broncos, and that's how I became a fan of the entire franchise. No one on the team gives me a hard time about it because they're all more baseball fans than football fans, understandably.
Q: You're a human development major at Marshall College. When do you expect to earn your degree, and what can you tell us about your plans for the future?
CLEWETT: I expect to earn my degree in the spring of 2016. My plan for the future is to go to graduate school for physical therapy. I always knew I wanted to have a career where I was helping and working with other people, and physical therapy really stood out to me.
Q: What goals do you have for this year's team?
CLEWETT: We have really high goals and expectations for this team. We know we have the ability to win nationals. It's just a matter of everyone staying on that course and wanting it just as much as anyone else. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the season because I know we have a great chance to do amazing things this year and win it all. That's the dream!
Previous Triton Q&A Features
Hunter Walker (Men's Basketball) February 17, 2015
Alexis Wieseler (Women's Water Polo) February 3, 2015
Troy Cruz (Baseball) January 27, 2015
Miranda Seto (Women's Basketball) January 6, 2015
Naomi Thomas (Women's Swimming & Diving) December 30, 2014
Cameron Ravanbach (Men's Water Polo) November 21, 2014
Eric Olen (Men's Basketball) November 17, 2014
Mitchell Shulman (Men's Fencing) November 13, 2014
Paul Li (Men's Swimming & Diving) November 1, 2014
Paige Hughes (Women's Cross Country) October 20, 2014
Danielle Dahle (Women's Volleyball) October 14, 2014
Tareq Alwafai (Men's Cross Country) September 25, 2014
David Higginson (Men's Water Polo) September 18, 2014
Matthew McClure (Men's Soccer) September 10, 2014
Caitlin Brenton (Women's Volleyball) September 3, 2014
Michelle Yasutake (Women's Soccer) August 25, 2014
2013-14 • 2010-13 • 2004-09
#TritonsRising
