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LaGrange freshman Dakota McDaniel got off to a sensational start to life on the diamond with the Grangers. In her first year with the varsity squad, she led the team in innings pitched, ERA and strikeouts while helping lead the team to one of the best seasons in program history that culminated in an Elite Eight appearance in Columbus.

“It was really cool, because I’ve never been to a big tournament in Georgia like that for softball, at least school wise, but there were like 100 different colleges there, and they’re all watching so that was fun,” McDaniel said. “We played in the stadium for the first game and there were a bunch of people, and it was really loud. The first two innings, my head was just pounding. I was like, this is it, this is the state finals.”

McDaniel had no finer performance during the season than the no-hitter she threw in game one of the Sweet 16 as the Grangers won 1-0.

“When I walked someone, I was like ‘dang, there goes the perfect game,” McDaneil said. “I try to set high goals so that I can try to do the best that I can.”

While her performances in the circle is where she made her name, McDaniel is also outstanding from the plate. The freshman hit over .400 with 20+ runs and RBIs as a freshman. McDaniel showed an ability to hit in the gaps and get on base with singles as well as hit the ball out of the park. McDaniel hit her first ever out-of-the-park home run at any level this season.

“It was really exciting. I didn’t really think it was over. I was going to run like it was a triple,” McDaniel said, laughing. “I’ve hit some inside-the-park (home runs), but that was my first over the wall.”

When she did not start in the circle for LaGrange, McDaniel was locking down one of the outfield spots. 

The dugout featured an interesting dynamic as McDaniel was the team’s only underclassman this season. The team featured 11 seniors and a large contingent of juniors who embraced the youngster on the team.

“Everybody was super nice and super welcoming and they all felt like my big sisters,” McDaniel said. 

McDaniel formed an instant connection with junior Clary Anne Adcock, a utility player that will likely be starting alongside McDaniel next season.

“It’s funny because on JV last season, we were at FCA camp together, and we kind of bullied each other, and the coaches were saying that we were like each other’s opposites and stuff like that,” McDaniel said. “And now this season, we did something called little and bigs so like the underclassmen, like the ninth and 10th graders and eighth graders had a big, either an 11th grader or 12th grader, and she was my big. So we just kind of ended up becoming best friends.”

While McDaniel is playing flag football for the Grangers right now, softball never really stops for her. When she is not playing softball for LaGrange, she is playing for her travel ball team, the Birmingham Thunderbolts, whom she helped lead to a national championship in California over the summer.

McDaniel helped the Thunderbolts claim the 14u National Championship. She was at the heart of the championship run, pitching 27.2 innings in total with a staggeringly low ERA of .772 and 22 strikeouts during the tournament. McDaniel started the championship game, where she threw a complete game to help the Bolts to a 3-2 victory.

McDaniel is looking to continue chasing titles and accolades in the diamond, but more than anything the freshman just enjoys being on the diamond with her girls.