South Whidbey High School senior softball sensation Mackenzee Collins. (Photo courtesy Collins)
“Softball has always been my escape.”
Mackenzee Collins is a standout on the diamond, a flame-throwing hurler, a coach’s daughter driven both by those who believed in her and those who did not, a high-flying Falcon on her way to big things off-Island one day.
The South Whidbey High School senior, who also plays basketball, hails from an athletic family which includes older brother Parker and dad Tim.
Her big brother was a rampaging force of nature as a football and basketball star, a role model as she developed her own impressive skill-set, while her late father shaped her life in a million little ways, starting with being her pitching guru, and going well beyond.
“There are a few people who have made me the player and person I am today,” Collins said. “Parker, growing up, he played a lot of sports, but basketball was his passion.
“Watching how dedicated he was and still is, how selfless of a player he is, and how incredibly hard Parker works, is amazing, and he inspires me to be the best athlete I can be.”
Their father, a noted pitching coach, had a sterling reputation in the local sports community, and his unexpected passing in 2015 affected players, fans and fellow coaches at all three Whidbey Island high schools.
“He always pushed me to be the very best player and teammate I could,” Collins said. “When I was feeling tired or lazy, it was my dad who made me go pitch to him (and thankfully he did).
“Even when it was 24 degrees out one winter years ago, I still remember going under the covered area at the elementary school and pitching with him,” she added. “He was, and always will be, my biggest fan and my biggest inspiration. I play for him.”
As positive as her time with her father was, on the field and off, there’s another coach, one with a different outlook, who drives Collins through the toughest practice, who helps her reach back and find one more laser pitch to escape a bases-loaded jam.
“As crazy as this may be, I will never forget one other person who had a huge impact on me as a player,” she said. “The coach of my first select softball team when I was only nine years old.
“I pitched one inning the entire season, simply because he didn’t believe in me, and didn’t hide it,” Collins added. “I may have only been nine years old at the time, but somewhere on that team it lit a fire in me to prove him wrong, a fire that’s still there today.”
Away from the field, she’s a member of the National Honor Society, someone who “loves reading and writing, so naturally my favorite class is English,” a strong student who wants to follow both of her parents into the teaching profession.
“Other than sports, I love to spend time with my friends, out in the sun on the beach, reading a good book, or blasting my country music,” Collins said.
But the softball diamond is where she makes her name, where she wants to carve a path which will lead to “playing collegiate softball at a competitive school.”
“It’s always been my dream,” Collins said. “And I am working very hard to make it happen, so I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”
While she enjoys basketball, spring is her time.
“Softball is easily my favorite,” Collins said. “I grew up around a lot of sports, but ever since I started playing softball when I was eight I just fell in love with the game. It’s fast paced at a high level, and I love the competition.”
She has a ferocious bat and a slick glove, but it’s her propensity for eye-popping strikeouts which catch most people’s eye.
The Cascade Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Collins, with her killer mind-set and big-game work in the pitcher’s circle, carried the Falcons to the state tourney as a junior.
“One of my strengths as a pitcher is the movement I put on my pitches,” she said. “Over the past two years, I’ve worked a lot on my screwball, curve-ball, and rise-ball in order to really make them jump.
“Of course, movement and location is something a pitcher can absolutely always improve upon, so that is my focus this coming off-season,” Collins added. “Another strength of mine is my composure on the mound.
“My motto has always been that whether my team is winning by 10 or losing by 10, I stay the same.”
While the spotlight often rests on her, thanks to playing a key position and putting up impressive stats, Collins is quick to spread the love to her teammates.
“I enjoy sports in general because they give young people a chance to be a part of a team, represent their community, compete, and have fun, all of which is incredibly valuable,” she said. “Softball, in particular, has always been my escape. I knew it was something that I could do that could take my mind off of anything.
“As I mentioned, it’s very competitive, and I love the pressure put on me as a pitcher,” Collins added. “I love knowing that my teammates are counting on me, and I work very hard to not let them down.”
While Coupeville fans might logically daydream what it would be like to have her wearing a Wolf uniform, forming a potent pitching combo with fellow CHS ace Katrina McGranahan, Collins is content with life on the South end.
“In many ways, Coupeville and South Whidbey are very similar,” she said. “I love how close-knit our school is. As much as I want to branch out and meet new people, I love walking down the hallways and being able to recognize pretty much everyone.
“Our community is filled with kind, helpful, and incredibly caring people, and all of South Whidbey is beautiful. In fact, our whole Island is; we’re pretty lucky!,” Collins added. “South Whidbey is home, and it always will be.”
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