Catching Up With Pack Pro Renada Davis

RALEIGH, N.C. – Just a few months after completing her collegiate career as one of the most decorated players in the history of the NC State softball program, Renada Davis is already knocking it out of the park at the professional level.
The former Wolfpack shortstop leads the Dallas Charge in hits (31), doubles (11), total bases (49), walks (16) and is tied for the team lead in runs scored with (13). Her stellar rookie season has led to being named NPF Rookie of the Week on two occasions this year.

Davis finished her NC State career atop the record books in numerous offensive categories, including career home runs with 65, which is also the ACC all-time mark. She is the only player in Pack softball history to earn All-ACC honors in each of her four years with the program.

GoPack.com recently caught up with Davis to talk about her first season as a professional softball player.

Q: First off, just talk about what it feels like to be a professional softball player and be able to do what you love as a job.
"It's been an amazing experience in my rookie year. Coming in with a brand new team and being with such great athletes has been an amazing experience. The girls I'm playing against are the best in the sport and being around them and being at this level of competition is immeasurable and it's such a great opportunity to see how much the game has advanced in the past few years. I can't say enough about the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), it's been amazing. We've been traveling all over the country to play games and I've loved everything about it."

Q: What's the biggest difference between college softball and professional softball?
"The competition. You play against and with some of the best athletes in the sport. I've faced pitchers Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman and so many other great pitchers, which really makes you step up your game and your level of play. You become much smarter by being around such great athletes."

Q: What was the toughest adjustment you had to make for the pro game?
"Honestly, getting used to playing everyday was probably my biggest adjustment from college to the pros. We play a lot of games and we travel a lot as well, we're currently on a 22-game road trip. It can be very exhausting mentally and physically, which is funny because it's not even about the game."

Q: How did it feel when you got your first hit, home run?
"Kind of surprising. I didn't know how well I was going to do because I knew the pitching would be a lot better. You have pitchers that can throw really hard, can spin the ball really well and ones that can do both. The pitchers are also much smarter, so I wasn't exactly sure how I would do. My first hit was very relieving because it assured me that I could play with these girls and play at this level, not only just play but be good. I had the mindset of finding a way to meet their game and be as good as they are.

"My first home run, my one and only so far, felt amazing. It was a dropball inside. The first pitch that the pitcher threw me in that at-bat was a drop in and I knew that was my pitch. Three or four pitches later I got it again and I got all of it for a home run. Funny thing was that I didn't think it was going out because our home field is so deep and I remember thinking there's no way I'll hit one out here."

Q: Did you think you would have this much success this early in your career?
"It feels great to have this much success so early. I came in and I expected to compete with these girls and find a way to match their level of talent. And it's just been happening left and right. I didn't expect to do as well as I have this season, but I've been getting better and I plan to continue getting better."

"It's been a great season and I can't say enough about this team. It's one of the most well rounded teams I've ever been on in my life; these girls are amazing on and off the field. It blows my mind how good everybody is, not only on my team but also in the pro game in general. Being on this team has been the best experience I've ever gone through in my entire life."

Q: Who's the toughest pitcher you've faced this season in the NPF?
"It's between Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman, who are two of the best pitchers in the history of the sport. Monica throws a lot of rise balls and throws really hard, while Cat has so much spin on her pitches and her ball moves like nothing I've ever seen before."

Q: Talk about heading down the stretch and the grind of the season and once postseason starts anything can happen.
"It's all about what team can mesh the quickest in a short amount of time and figure out how to play as a team. We don't get months and months to prepare for our season like you do in college, so you have to figure out a way to play with your teammates on a shortened timeline."

Q: Lastly, how did it feel facing your former teammate, Emily Weiman?
"My first at-bat against her I had to kind of sit back and laugh in the batters box because we have so much history together at NC State and all of the things that we did together. I know how good a pitcher she is and I have an insurmountable amount of respect for Emily. Just to walk up to the batter's box and see her in the circle I felt like I was back at practice at State. It's a little bit to weird to see her with a different uniform on, but I know she's doing great things. When we played them, she was striking people out left and right and a part of me was proud of what she was doing as my former teammate and the other part of me was thinking we need to figure out how to get some hits.

"I let her get me a couple times, but I had to get my licks in too."

North Carolina State University Athletics

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