Mya Dodge makes immediate impact for UNI softball

CEDAR FALLS — Mya Dodge attended a softball camp in eighth grade when she captured University of Northern Iowa Coach Ryan Jacobs’ attention.

He wasn’t marveled by blasts off her bat or her speed or a cannon of an arm. Think more hustle, competitiveness and fervor for the sport.

“That’s the first thing that caught my eye when she was an eighth-grader,” Jacobs said of the Panther freshman and former Cedar Rapids Kennedy prep. “It was how she played the game and that’s been there every day. It has never changed since that day I (first) saw her.

“She has been leading by example and that’s what you want out of a freshman.”

Dodge has stepped into the lineup, leading UNI in eight offensive categories entering the first Missouri Valley Conference home series of the season. The league-leading Panthers (13-11, 5-1) host second-place Missouri State (13-13, 6-2) for a three-game set at Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex, beginning Saturday at noon and concluding Sunday.

Dodge recalled the camp when she first met Jacobs. The pair talked as she remained with teammates to help put away equipment. It eventually led to becoming a Panther.

“I was honestly so excited to be there,” Dodge said. “I’ve always been taught from the beginning to hustle everywhere. Always finish through the line. Always run.

“At the very end of the camp, I was running around and most of the other campers were gone, but my club team was still there. I remember him coming up to me and we just kind of chatted. Later down the road, here I am.”

Interestingly, the coach-player combo share the same competitive streak and same wry sense of humor. They can be in the middle of a serious discussion when one will make a subtle joke, turning it into a back-and-forth of good-natured barbs. Jacobs provided an example of those exchanges.

“She had an at-bat, a good at-bat, where she got beat,” Jacobs said. “I didn’t say anything to her right away. She went out the next at-bat and hit a double. Then we had a conversation and I mentioned something to her. She said, ‘Didn’t you see that? I’m way ahead of you, coach.’ There’s that.”

Jacobs said the conversations demonstrate her advanced softball intelligence. She has a knack for the intricacies of the game. Dodge’s home run against Southern Illinois was a result of that and her selfless attitude gave credit to her teammate, who recognized the pitcher was throwing consecutive changeups, which allowed her to jump on the second offering.

“Mya goes up and hits a tank home run. I mean a nuke on a changeup,” Jacobs said. “After every game, we always do a session where we do props and own it, where everybody can speak up. They can give a teammate props or own a mistake that they made. Mya raised her hand and said she had to give props to Maggie (Erpelding). ‘She tipped me off that the pitcher was throwing back-to-back changeups and so as soon as I saw one, I sat on it and hit a bomb.’”

Dodge has made an immediate impact, batting leadoff and posting a team-high .376 average. She also is tops in runs (23), hits (32), extra-base hits (13), stolen bases (13), RBIs (17), slugging percentage (.706) and is tied for first with seven home runs.

“I think my teammates are awesome and they help push me to be the best teammate and player that I can be,” Dodge said. “We’ve worked really hard this offseason and it’s starting to pay off. You can really see that our bats have been off to a great start, as a whole.”

UNI’s offense started the season slow and stagnant, according to Jacobs. He said the order needed someone to provide a spark and intensity at the plate, raising the bar for others to match. Dodge was the life of the offense early and her approach fit the role well.

“She just kind of emerged into that position,” Jacobs said. “We needed somebody to set a tone and Mya does a tremendous job of setting a competitive tone, regardless of what happened in the at-bat, whether she hit a home run, double, single, struck out. She has an aggressive mindset.

“She’s done a great job producing as well. She kind of set a standard for the rest of our hitters.”

Neither Dodge, nor Jacobs expected the current production. Uncertainty accompanies any player transitioning from high school to college athletics, especially hitters. Jacobs said some are better prepared or can adapt, but you never know until they witness college pitching. Dodge demonstrated she belonged during fall ball.

“Form an expectation standpoint, we didn’t know what we were going to get from our freshmen,” Jacobs said. “Judging from the fall, there were a couple that were closer to where they needed to be to play.

“She was definitely in that group of freshmen, where it was like, “Yeah, she’s going to find a way to help us somehow’ this spring.”

The biggest adjustment has been pitching — velocity, movement and strategy. Dodge said she spends a lot of time at the hitting facility with the pitching machine, which is nicknamed “The Onion.” They attempt to mimic game situations, setting it up similar to the pitchers they are going to face each week.

Dedication to her craft has allowed her, and her roommate, Kylee Sanders, to succeed as starters in their first year.

“It’s really a game of failure, but we do work really hard,” Dodge said. “We just try our best.”

Dodge and Sanders have earned the conference’s Newcomer of the Week. Dodge earned the accolade for her performance in a sweep against Southern Illinois. She batted .500 with six hits, including three doubles and a home run. She also had three RBIs.

Although she isn’t concerned with personal statistics, it serves as fuel to continue to help the Panthers win games.

“It definitely motivates me to push harder,” Dodge said. “It motivates me to encourage everybody else.”

Jacobs said Dodge is a pleasure to have on your team, but a pain to play against. She is as real as players come and she is all about winning. The goal is to be her best so the team can do the same.

“She is very confident in her skills,” Jacobs said. “She is highly competitive, but she’s competitive in the right way. She’s competitive because she wants the team to do well.

“She gets frustrated with herself. Don’t get me wrong, but it’s never a personal ego that’s taken over and making her frustrated. It’s the fact that she wants to do well for the team.”