The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1513610
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 ■ 49 recognizable on the field with her dusty pants, a flailing ponytail and an over- matched sweatband trying to keep per- spiration from streaming into her eyes. She was a catalyst for a team with mul- tiple stars, playing for first-year coach Shawn Rychcik. Coming back from an in-season tournament in California, the Pack had a losing record, but turned the sea- son around with a 13-game winning streak in April and May that included a season-finale sweep of North Caro- lina and three consecutive wins at the ACC Championship, in which it beat top-seeded Florida State 1-0 in the title game. Davis' next two years didn't fea- ture the same power numbers, but she completely rewrote the school record book for hitting, just as teammate Em- ily Weiman rewrote the pitching record book. "I don't know if I had a specific de- fining moment for my career, but my sophomore season was special," Davis said. "We had such a great group of ath- letes on the ball field, and we were able to learn how to perform together. "Sweeping North Carolina in the final weekend was such a huge moment for me and for the team. Caitlin Dent had a walk-off grand slam in the second game, and I had a walk-off homer in the third, all on our home field. The atmosphere was just so cool for a program that was only 10 years old." She became the team's all-time lead- ing home run hitter at the end of her junior year, then added 15 more as a se- nior when the Wolfpack advanced to the program's only NCAA Super Regional appearance. She also finished with 176 runs, 155 RBI, 492 total bases, 46 doubles, 109 walks, a .356 career batting average and a .706 slugging percentage. 'I Love The Game' After spending three years play- ing professional softball for the Dallas Charge in the Women's Pro Fastpitch League while also working at South Carolina, Davis took a job as an agricul- tural extension agent with LSU, which was in line with her NC State agricul- tural science degree and her master's degree in earth and environmental research management from South Car- olina. She remained close to softball, spend- ing years training younger players as a private hitting instructor, as the coach of a several travel teams and as a gradu- ate manager for South Carolina softball. Eighteen months ago, however, Da- vis' life changed directions dramati- cally when she married Molly Fichtner and followed her to Monroe, La., where Fichtner is the head softball coach at Louisiana-Monroe. The pair both grew up playing against each other in the Houston area but never really knew each other until they both played for the Dallas Charge. "It's been an adjustment, but I love living in Louisiana," Davis said. "The community here loves their sports. They show up early, put on a great party, serve phenomenal food and go all-out sup- porting the players and the program. That's been so much fun to watch. "The community is so involved." Being a coach's spouse is no easy task, but as a lifelong softball player, Davis understood what she was stepping into with practice schedules, recruiting trips, and the rigors of a five-month schedule. "I knew this was what she wanted to do when we met," Davis said with a laugh. "It's opened my eyes about how much a coach really does. I always un- derstood that in the capacity of a player and as an assistant. But they do so much. "Fortunately, I love the game and I love being part of it." Since May, Davis has been involved in the softball community in a different way, after accepting a job with Marucci Sports as a fastpitch softball equipment representative. One of the five schools she serves with bats, gloves and equip- ment is NC State, which recently signed with Marucci. Another is Michigan State, where former teammate Bethaney Wells is an assistant. When she returned to campus earlier this year, the 10th anniversary of the 2013 ACC title, the memories came flooding back. "I was out running on campus and thinking about all the things that hap- pened while I was here," Davis said. "All those memories came back. Most of them are great. Some of them are cringey. "It's just funny to look back on all those growing pains, all those good times and how involved I still am in the game and with NC State." ■ RENADA DAVIS FICHTNER SOFTBALL (2012-15) Age: 29 Living: Monroe, La. Occupation: Representative for Marucci Sports, a Louisiana-based manufacturer of baseball and softball equipment Did you know? Davis' 26 home runs in 2013 helped NC State amass 88 homers as a team, a school single-season record that still stands. The powerful offense included Davis, Caitlin Dent, Scout Albertson, Bethaney Wells, Chelsea Tate, Lana Van Dyken and Kirsty Grant. Those players hit so many balls out of Jacqueline Dail Park that the athletics department had to erect 20-foot nets beyond the left-field wall to protect mem - bers of the men's and women's track team train- ing at Paul Derr Track from getting hit by softballs launched during practices and games. Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker and can be reached at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu. Davis Fichtner, who got married in 2022, now works as a fastpitch softball representative for Marucci Sports. NC State is one of the five schools she serves with bats, gloves and equipment. PHOTO COURTESY RENADA DAVIS FICHTNER