Thrown Into the Storm
April 29, 2020 | Softball, HailStateBEAT
by Brian Ogden, Assistant Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Jackie McKenna has a cannon.
As many runners found out in 2020, the sophomore catcher's arm can be surprisingly strong when a throw isn't expected. She led the SEC in runners picked off in the shortened season, but she's been shocking people with her throws for years.
When she was six years old, she filled in as a guest player on her brother's baseball team.
"I was the only girl," she remembers. "Everyone was like, 'Okay, who is she? She's good." I had one of the strongest arms out there, and I was probably about three years younger. Playing with all his older friends, it was good experience to get me learning what baseball is. After that is when I got into softball, after I'd been playing a lot with the boys."
McKenna was just following the family's footsteps. Growing up, the game was always part of life in the McKenna house. Her father played in college and was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds, but never realized his dream of playing professionally after a shoulder injury ended his career.
Her father spent hours with her and her two brothers, one of whom went on to play collegiately at West Point.
"He was always onto us about everything: our swings, our—everything," McKenna said of her father. "Always worked with us—I think he's one of the biggest reasons why I am where I am today."
Between practices and games, the McKennas would head out on the lake in their friend's boat. The Florida native has spent plenty of time cruising the intercoastal waters between her home and the beach 10 minutes away. She's fond of fishing and tubing, but it's the latter that may serve as the best metaphor for her life.
McKenna has a few tips for anyone new to the tube.
"Definitely have a life jacket," she began. "Especially in the ocean, it gets very rough with the waves. Hold on for dear life, because depending on who's driving, it can get very intense."
One tubing memory stands out clearly. When she was 10, she was thrown from the tube in the ocean. She did a backflip and disappeared into the trough of a wave.
"They didn't realize I was even gone, so they kept driving away," she said. "Especially in the ocean, it's kind of scary."
For a few brief moments she was bobbing alone as the waves swelled up and down on all sides. Many years later, she found herself caught up in another turbulent sea of events.
McKenna attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where during her senior year a school shooting claimed the lives of 17 students. Less than two years after the tragedy, her best friend was killed.
She felt like it was never going to end. More and more seemed to be piling on. But those events have changed her and shaped her path in a new way. Once again, she's following the family path after switching her major to criminology. Both of her parents work in law enforcement with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
"I think it's just really interesting, especially with the shooting and what we've gone through," she said. "That definitely impacted me a lot. Hearing my dad's stories and my mom working with U.S. Marshals to begin with definitely had a big part in me choosing what I want to do."
Ironically, she's not a big fan of puzzles, but she loves solving things. She's fascinated with the details that often come out after major crimes and the key moments that help crack a case. She'd like to one day be an intelligence analyst or a crime scene investigator.
For now, she's waiting for the return of softball along with her dog, Champ. He's been an anchor for her when her world seems to rock like the waves.
McKenna got the goldendoodle shortly after starting college. When she needed a name, her mom had the perfect one in mind.
"Champ, you have to do Champ," she said. "You're a champ for through what you've gone through, and your team loved that name."
STARKVILLE – Jackie McKenna has a cannon.
As many runners found out in 2020, the sophomore catcher's arm can be surprisingly strong when a throw isn't expected. She led the SEC in runners picked off in the shortened season, but she's been shocking people with her throws for years.
When she was six years old, she filled in as a guest player on her brother's baseball team.
"I was the only girl," she remembers. "Everyone was like, 'Okay, who is she? She's good." I had one of the strongest arms out there, and I was probably about three years younger. Playing with all his older friends, it was good experience to get me learning what baseball is. After that is when I got into softball, after I'd been playing a lot with the boys."
McKenna was just following the family's footsteps. Growing up, the game was always part of life in the McKenna house. Her father played in college and was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds, but never realized his dream of playing professionally after a shoulder injury ended his career.
Her father spent hours with her and her two brothers, one of whom went on to play collegiately at West Point.
"He was always onto us about everything: our swings, our—everything," McKenna said of her father. "Always worked with us—I think he's one of the biggest reasons why I am where I am today."
Between practices and games, the McKennas would head out on the lake in their friend's boat. The Florida native has spent plenty of time cruising the intercoastal waters between her home and the beach 10 minutes away. She's fond of fishing and tubing, but it's the latter that may serve as the best metaphor for her life.
McKenna has a few tips for anyone new to the tube.
"Definitely have a life jacket," she began. "Especially in the ocean, it gets very rough with the waves. Hold on for dear life, because depending on who's driving, it can get very intense."
One tubing memory stands out clearly. When she was 10, she was thrown from the tube in the ocean. She did a backflip and disappeared into the trough of a wave.
"They didn't realize I was even gone, so they kept driving away," she said. "Especially in the ocean, it's kind of scary."
For a few brief moments she was bobbing alone as the waves swelled up and down on all sides. Many years later, she found herself caught up in another turbulent sea of events.
McKenna attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where during her senior year a school shooting claimed the lives of 17 students. Less than two years after the tragedy, her best friend was killed.
She felt like it was never going to end. More and more seemed to be piling on. But those events have changed her and shaped her path in a new way. Once again, she's following the family path after switching her major to criminology. Both of her parents work in law enforcement with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
"I think it's just really interesting, especially with the shooting and what we've gone through," she said. "That definitely impacted me a lot. Hearing my dad's stories and my mom working with U.S. Marshals to begin with definitely had a big part in me choosing what I want to do."
Ironically, she's not a big fan of puzzles, but she loves solving things. She's fascinated with the details that often come out after major crimes and the key moments that help crack a case. She'd like to one day be an intelligence analyst or a crime scene investigator.
For now, she's waiting for the return of softball along with her dog, Champ. He's been an anchor for her when her world seems to rock like the waves.
McKenna got the goldendoodle shortly after starting college. When she needed a name, her mom had the perfect one in mind.
"Champ, you have to do Champ," she said. "You're a champ for through what you've gone through, and your team loved that name."
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