Feb. 24, 2015
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Rebecca Burkhardt
UCFKnights.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - No matter when or where, Mackenzie Audas is almost always teaching. From working with area children to coaching her teammates, Audas loves helping other people.
Now in her senior year, the early childhood education major is required to carry an internship three days a week while balancing the other part of her life as one of the Knights' aces in the pitching circle. While dedication to academics and her young students sometimes means she's late to practice, Audas jumps right in and gets to work when she arrives at the UCF Softball Complex.
Sure, it can be exhausting. But her love for what she's doing carries her through.
"If you don't have a passion for it, you are not going to do as well," she said. "I feel like to work with little kids you have to be in tune with human development as well as feelings and emotions. Maybe that carried over into softball or softball shaped me into wanting to be an educator."
Audas channels that same passion into her pitching and her role as a mentor, always wanting to help her teammates improve.
Fellow pitcher, Shelby Turnier, has noticed improvement in her own game while working next to Audas. After tallying two wins against nationally ranked opponents earlier this season, Turnier was named National Pitcher of the Week as well as earning American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honors.
"It's been really awesome learning from her," Turnier said. "She's always there to help and pushes me to be better."
Working together has paid off for the Knights. The duo helped to lead the Knights to an incredible start and the team's first national ranking in school history. Audas set the tone in February's season opener, recording her fourth career no-hitter, tying a UCF record. She has also picked up two nods as the American Athletic Conference's Pitcher of the Week already in 2015.
The accolades are the most recent in a highly decorated career as a student-athlete. She was on the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll twice, was named the 2012 C-USA Freshman of the Year and Co-Pitcher of the Year and was a second-team choice on the American Athletic Conference all-league team.
"I think I succeed so much because I try and stay organized," Audas said. "You have to when you are an athlete. Honestly, being an athlete my whole life prepared me the most for coming to college and being a good student."
The standout senior has been a part of the team through many ups and downs. Despite suffering two injuries during her sophomore season, Audas came back to help win the regular season conference championship last year.
"Any athlete would tell you, to have success is one of the reasons why you do it," Audas said. "You wouldn't put in that much work if you didn't want to have that success."
Besides the success, Audas likes the competition; it is what draws her to pitching.
"I am a competitor and I really like challenges," Audas said. "To me, pitching was a challenge. I like to analyze things and think about the mechanics. That is my favorite part of practice."
Audas' career as a pitcher started at 8 years old across the street from her home in Plant City. After watching her neighbor and his granddaughter throw, she walked on over and asked if she could give it a try. Just like that, the man became her pitching coach.
Audas is now one of four seniors on a team that did not lose a player from last year's American Athletic Conference regular season championship squad. The confidence is already there for the Knights. Now, they just need to stay hungry, according to their senior mentor.
"We have to keep everyone in check," Audas said. "Last year has nothing to do with this year. I think if we have that line between confidence and hard work, we will be good."