by BLAKE PIESCHKE, CSU Public Relations Intern

MacKenzie Ward is a pitcher for the Women’s Softball team at Minnesota State University. During the Hy-Vee Classic on March 21, the junior from Clive, Iowa, helped secure a victory in their first game against the Rogers State Hillcats. She pitched a complete game of seven innings with 12 strikeouts and allowing only a single run on three hits. Along with their victory over Northwest Missouri State, the Mavericks improved to 11-2 on the season.

• What three words best describe you? Determined, creative and caring
• What tops your list of pet peeves? When people don’t have their shirts tucked in at practice and slow walkers
• If you could be any animal, what would it be and why? Sea turtle, because I’m fascinated by the ocean.
• What’s the dumbest thing you’ve done that actually turned out pretty well? First year of softball I was put on third base and had runners on first and second. A ball came toward me and I backed up to find the base and fell over it, but still managed to get the force out.
• Who is your all-time favorite sports star? Jennie Finch
• What is your most prized possession? My necklace of a softball glove. I wear it every single game because it feels strange without it
• What three items can always be found in your refrigerator? Eggs, cheese and ketchup
• If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time? Watch Netflix
• What skill would you like to master? Knit
• What is the luckiest thing that has happened to you? Just happened to have to tie shoe while running and possibly avoided getting hit by a car because of it
• What is something that a ton of people are obsessed with but you just don’t get the point of? Social media
• If all jobs had the same pay and hours, what job would you like to have? Police officer
• Who inspires you to be better? My teammates
• What is something you will NEVER do again? Go on a roller coaster that goes upside down.
• What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives? See the ocean
• If you could have a superpower, what would it be? To fly
• If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? Go to Scheels and buy things I really don’t need 
• If you could witness any event past, present or future, what would it be? Experience the ’50s era
• What do you like most about Minnesota State University, Mankato? The whole atmosphere. It is busy enough to know it’s a big campus, but not too outrageous
• If you were stuck on an island, what three things would you bring with you? A knife, a book and a good pillow
• If you had to eat at a fast-food restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be? Wendy’s
• Who is your celebrity crush? Zac Efron
• What fictional character would you like to meet? Lorelai Gilmore from Gilmore Girls
• Best purchase you ever made? My Apple watch
• What’s something that overwhelms you? Not knowing everything about things that are going on
• What are you most proud of? Getting to pitch at Mankato
• If you had the option to know the date and circumstance of your death, would you? No
• What is the first thing you notice about someone you meet for the first time? Their eyes
• How do you recharge from exhaustion? Getting a lot of sleep
• What is one thing you want to accomplish or experience in your life? After college, even though I’ll be teaching art, I hope to still continue working with art and selling art
• What is one thing that should be taught in school but isn’t? How to balance a checkbook and money management
• What was your favorite activity as a child? Being outside or doing anything with art
• How long do you think you would last in a zombie apocalypse? Make it to the end