Today’s spotlight athlete is a power-hitting catcher from Northern Calif. who was a Full Count Softball All-American and also a member of the 2015 Hot 100 class, but she’s as equally impressive off the field including her charitable work she does for several great causes.

Name: Taylor Pack
Grad Year: 2015
Pos: catcher
High School: Sutter Union (Sutter, Calif.)
GPA: 4.0
Club: Lady Magic – Havey                                                      
High School Stats: 2014: hit .564 with nine home runs and 50 RBI in 33 games
Honors: 2^nd Team Full Count Softball All-American, No. 31 prospect in the 2015 Hot 100, CalHiSports.com 1^st Team All-State, Appeal-Democrat Softball Player of the Year, three-time All-Metro Athlete, two-time MVP of Butte View League        
College: UCLA

***

FullCountSoftball.com: Let’s start by talking about your accomplishments off the field… you have been heavily involved with charity work including “Relay for Life” and the Special Olympics in Sacramento. What does giving back and helping others like this mean to you?
Taylor Pack: I lost both of my grandfathers to lung cancer and seeing first hand what they had to endure, the heartache they and I felt just makes me want to do something to help others who are battling and to join the fight against this disease. We are all in this together! I love working with the Special Olympics athletes, they help me become a better person. I want to continue to give back, especially with youth. I want to help give the same opportunities I was given. So essentially “giving back” to me means helping myself and others become better people. It just feels good.

FCS.com: You also carry a 4.0 GPA… what is your philosophy on maintaining good grades and being a good student? Any tips you can give others that have helped you?
TP: Grades come first. You are a student-athlete, the student part is first.

FCS.com: What’s been your favorite softball memory so far?
TP: Winning the Louisville Slugger Tournament in Colorado with my team, Lady Magic. All our hard work came together.

FCS.com: Tell us how you were first seen by the UCLA coaches and how the recruiting process played out…
TP: I was 1st seen by the coaches at the 2012 OnDeck Elite Futures Camp at Mt. SAC in Walnut, Calif. Then I went to a camp at UCLA and everything just fell into place.

FCS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
TP: I committed my sophomore year. The atmosphere at UCLA is like a family, and they are the family I want to spend my four years in college with. I also want to win a national title and felt like UCLA is the place I can help make that happen.

FCS.com: Did you have an “aha” moment when it just became clear you were supposed to be a Bruin?
TP: As soon as I went on my unofficial visit and met the team and coaches, I knew.

FCS.com: How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
TP: Over the phone after I had taken visits.

FCS.com: What do you think (or have others said) are your strengths as a softball player?
TP: My ability to make changes and adjust to things quickly. Also, my work ethic.

FCS.com: What’s something in your game you want to work on before you step foot in Westwood next fall?
TP: I will be working on all aspects of my game because nobody is perfect but I’d like to get close!

Quick Hitters

What do you want to major in at UCLA?
Physics.

Fill in the blank… I love being a catcher because:_________________
… I get to be in charge of the field.

What is Sutter, Calif. known for?
Sutter is known for having the world’s smallest mountain range…The Sutter Buttes.

Favorite movie:
Stepbrothers.

Least favorite characteristic in a person:
When people are judgmental toward others.

What’s your dream vacation?
To just go to the lake for a week with my family and not have anything else on our minds.

What type of bat do you use and what do you like about it?
Easton Torque… I like the feeling it gives when you hit the ball perfectly.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
My first passion was horses and doing rodeo which I chose to give up to become a better softball player.

What is going through your mind as a runner is barreling for home and the throw is coming to you?
Ball First!

Best feeling: nailing a runner trying to steal or hitting a home run?
Nailing a runner because that opportunity doesn’t come very often…most girls don’t try to steal.

Do you have any softball superstitions or rituals?
Yes, never step on the lines before the game.

Other than family, who’s your hero or someone you look up to most?
Coach Bob Ramirez.

Team (pro/college/high school) you love to root against:
Yankees, USC and Wheatland High School.

What’s your “guilty pleasure,” something you hate to admit you love?
Going to bed early! 8’clock is my personal bedtime!

If you could have a super power, what would you want it to be?
To be able to teleport so I’d never waste time.

Best movie you’ve seen in the last year…
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be.
My Grandpa.

What did you want to be when you were little?
A lawyer on Law & Order SUV.

Favorite athlete:
Yasiel Puig.

Nickname(s):
SnackPack

Something on your “must do” list:
Make an impact on someone’s life.

Funniest thing you’ve ever seen on a softball field:
My teammate and friend striking out swinging on a ball that hit her in the stomach!

With Thanksgiving coming up, what are you most thankful for?
My family.

What’s the No. 1 request on your Santa gift list?
Top light bar for my Jeep.