Cassady Knudsen was in tears the day her father dropped her off for her first softball practice and now the sport has had a lasting impact on her life.
Senior Spotlight: Cassady Knudsen
April 23, 2018 | Softball
By: Emily Pschigoda, MSU Athletic Communications
Tears in her eyes and dressed in cleats, she was sent to her first softball practice. She dreaded the ride to the field, and she spent the drive day-dreaming of dancing shoes.
Cassady Knudsen's father, Brad, was determined to have a ball player in the family. Against her best wishes, she laced up cleats instead of ballet slippers.
No matter how much she protested, when 10-year-old Knudsen stepped onto the field, it was meant to be. Mr. Knudsen saw his daughter laughing, smiling and cherishing the game, so he urged her to continue.
Cassady wasn't quite ready to let her dad see his victory, so she found a new reason to gripe.
"My dad would tell you that I got into pitching because I'd be so mad I didn't get the ball every time," Knudsen said. "He told me I'd have to pitch if I wanted to touch the ball every time."
Pitching would be Knudsen's game from that moment on. It would change her life and connect her family in ways she'd never imagine.
The Altoona, Iowa, native knew there was more to softball and more to life than the midwestern suburbs. She knew she wanted to play at the next level, but the destination always changed. Over the years, one thing remained the same; she was getting out of Iowa.
Knudsen's high school pitching coach, Jared Harden, saw her potential. He understood her dream of leaving the Hawkeye State.Harden saw the far-reaching impact of Knudsen's talent in the circle, so he took to the recruiting trail.
Mississippi State softball's head coach, Vann Stuedeman, was in her third year at the helm of the program. Harden called Stuedeman and prodded her to view Knudsen's abilities. With a three-day notice, Cassady was invited to attend MSU's camp for high school players.
The Knudsens packed up the car, and they headed on a 764-mile journey from Altoona to Starkville. At the time, a stint of strep throat made the travel miserable for Knudsen. Although, when she arrived in the Magnolia State, nothing could keep her away from the action.
"We drove through the night and arrived 15 minutes before the camp started," Knudsen recalled with a faint smile. "I remember Vann greeting me with the biggest hug."
Ultimately, Stuedeman's warmth and vibrance drew Knudsen to the Maroon and White.
As a pitcher, Knudsen knew she would be able to offer talent to the Bulldog roster, but little did she know what they would give to her and her family.
In 2008, Cassady's mom, Julie, was diagnosed with cancer. This was a battle the Knudsen family had been fighting long before MSU became an option.
Even hundreds of miles from home, Cassady knew she needed to continue fighting the battle against cancer. She knew she would continue the fight off the softball field as she is hopeful to attend medical school in the future. Her dream is to pursue a career in oncology; the study of cancers.
Knudsen's work started off the field, but in her senior season, her family battle would become a Bulldog battle. Alex Wilcox has battled ovarian cancer since 2015. In 2018, Wilcox would join Knudsen and the rest of the Bulldogs on the softball field.
Alex's battle sparked the "No One Fights Alone" campaign, which is geared toward cancer awareness. This campaign obviously hits home for Knudsen, as she's reminded every day that Alex and her mom are truly never fighting alone.
"It hits so close to home for me. My mom loves to see everyone behind Alex and behind her," Knudsen said with a soft smile. "When we hold up the signs, some of them say my mom's name. Truly, no one fights alone."
During the middle of the fourth inning of all home midweek games, fans and players raise teal signs as a show of support. The signs read, "I fight with", followed by a blank space for a name of a survivor, or someone still in their fight. Many of Knudsen's teammates share in writing Mrs. Knudsen's name as well as Alex's.
"She knows, although we can't fight it for her, we're going to love her through it," Knudsen said. "Even though it's Alex's name, my mom can feel that love, too."
From the moment she arrived on campus, Cassady has been overwhelmed by that love. MSU has given Cassady and her family much more than softball. Knudsen would be the first to agree that Bulldog roots run deep, and to her, its more than just a game.
"I have more experience with different situations that I never thought I'd be in. These friendships will last me a lifetime," Knudsen said sentimentally. "They have my back and love me unconditionally. I will have their backs, always."
Knudsen, who once kicked and screamed at the idea of softball, will leave MSU with a love for her game and her teammates.
It would be simple to list Knudsen's accolades, but she says the way the game has touched her heart is the ultimate gift. As Cassady Knudsen moves on from MSU, she will continue to fight a battle that extends further than the softball field.
The "No One Fights Alone Campaign" has spread like wildfire through the softball realm. Cassady knows the mission doesn't stop there. Influenced by her teammates and university, Knudsen is ready to carry this message to the rest of the world.
As Cassady reflects on her time at MSU, she is eternally grateful that the Maroon and White faithful have shown her, and her family, that no one fights alone.
Cassady Knudsen and the 2018 senior class will celebrate Senior Day on Sunday, May 6 versus Tennessee at 2 p.m. CT.
Tears in her eyes and dressed in cleats, she was sent to her first softball practice. She dreaded the ride to the field, and she spent the drive day-dreaming of dancing shoes.
Cassady Knudsen's father, Brad, was determined to have a ball player in the family. Against her best wishes, she laced up cleats instead of ballet slippers.
No matter how much she protested, when 10-year-old Knudsen stepped onto the field, it was meant to be. Mr. Knudsen saw his daughter laughing, smiling and cherishing the game, so he urged her to continue.
Cassady wasn't quite ready to let her dad see his victory, so she found a new reason to gripe.
"My dad would tell you that I got into pitching because I'd be so mad I didn't get the ball every time," Knudsen said. "He told me I'd have to pitch if I wanted to touch the ball every time."
Pitching would be Knudsen's game from that moment on. It would change her life and connect her family in ways she'd never imagine.
The Altoona, Iowa, native knew there was more to softball and more to life than the midwestern suburbs. She knew she wanted to play at the next level, but the destination always changed. Over the years, one thing remained the same; she was getting out of Iowa.
Knudsen's high school pitching coach, Jared Harden, saw her potential. He understood her dream of leaving the Hawkeye State.Harden saw the far-reaching impact of Knudsen's talent in the circle, so he took to the recruiting trail.
Mississippi State softball's head coach, Vann Stuedeman, was in her third year at the helm of the program. Harden called Stuedeman and prodded her to view Knudsen's abilities. With a three-day notice, Cassady was invited to attend MSU's camp for high school players.
The Knudsens packed up the car, and they headed on a 764-mile journey from Altoona to Starkville. At the time, a stint of strep throat made the travel miserable for Knudsen. Although, when she arrived in the Magnolia State, nothing could keep her away from the action.
"We drove through the night and arrived 15 minutes before the camp started," Knudsen recalled with a faint smile. "I remember Vann greeting me with the biggest hug."
Ultimately, Stuedeman's warmth and vibrance drew Knudsen to the Maroon and White.
As a pitcher, Knudsen knew she would be able to offer talent to the Bulldog roster, but little did she know what they would give to her and her family.
In 2008, Cassady's mom, Julie, was diagnosed with cancer. This was a battle the Knudsen family had been fighting long before MSU became an option.
Even hundreds of miles from home, Cassady knew she needed to continue fighting the battle against cancer. She knew she would continue the fight off the softball field as she is hopeful to attend medical school in the future. Her dream is to pursue a career in oncology; the study of cancers.
Knudsen's work started off the field, but in her senior season, her family battle would become a Bulldog battle. Alex Wilcox has battled ovarian cancer since 2015. In 2018, Wilcox would join Knudsen and the rest of the Bulldogs on the softball field.
Alex's battle sparked the "No One Fights Alone" campaign, which is geared toward cancer awareness. This campaign obviously hits home for Knudsen, as she's reminded every day that Alex and her mom are truly never fighting alone.
"It hits so close to home for me. My mom loves to see everyone behind Alex and behind her," Knudsen said with a soft smile. "When we hold up the signs, some of them say my mom's name. Truly, no one fights alone."
During the middle of the fourth inning of all home midweek games, fans and players raise teal signs as a show of support. The signs read, "I fight with", followed by a blank space for a name of a survivor, or someone still in their fight. Many of Knudsen's teammates share in writing Mrs. Knudsen's name as well as Alex's.
"She knows, although we can't fight it for her, we're going to love her through it," Knudsen said. "Even though it's Alex's name, my mom can feel that love, too."
From the moment she arrived on campus, Cassady has been overwhelmed by that love. MSU has given Cassady and her family much more than softball. Knudsen would be the first to agree that Bulldog roots run deep, and to her, its more than just a game.
"I have more experience with different situations that I never thought I'd be in. These friendships will last me a lifetime," Knudsen said sentimentally. "They have my back and love me unconditionally. I will have their backs, always."
Knudsen, who once kicked and screamed at the idea of softball, will leave MSU with a love for her game and her teammates.
It would be simple to list Knudsen's accolades, but she says the way the game has touched her heart is the ultimate gift. As Cassady Knudsen moves on from MSU, she will continue to fight a battle that extends further than the softball field.
The "No One Fights Alone Campaign" has spread like wildfire through the softball realm. Cassady knows the mission doesn't stop there. Influenced by her teammates and university, Knudsen is ready to carry this message to the rest of the world.
As Cassady reflects on her time at MSU, she is eternally grateful that the Maroon and White faithful have shown her, and her family, that no one fights alone.
Cassady Knudsen and the 2018 senior class will celebrate Senior Day on Sunday, May 6 versus Tennessee at 2 p.m. CT.
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