It was hard to find a more dominant Sun Devil athlete than Katie Burkhart last spring. The softball pitcher went 41-5 with a 0.75 era while striking out 513 batters in 315 1/3 innings in her senior year.
Burkhart was also the leading lady during her team’s successful quest for the NCAA title in June. Life’s been quite a whirlwind since, but Burkhart is back in Tempe working toward her degree.
Q: You had a couple of hectic days after winning the NCAA softball title. What was that like?
A: I went from the [Women’s College] World Series, to signing a contract, to playing [against] the Olympic team. That was all within three days which was kind of a lot, but I tried my hardest to soak it all in.
Q: What was your experience like pitching against the U.S. national softball team?
A: Well, I’ve actually been pitching against them for four years now. I’ve been going to their camps in Chula Vista, Calif., since my freshman year, so I’ve been throwing to those girls for a while. But it was cool to be in a different setting and have a uniform on. We we’re duking it out. We [the NPF all-stars] were really, really close to beating them. It was great.
Q: You were the No. 1 overall pick of the National Pro Fastpitch League earlier this year. What was it like playing in the professional ranks this summer?
A: It was definitely different from college. Going in from winning the College World Series to the professional league, you’re basically playing — from 1 through 9 — some of the best players and athletes from the whole nation. We’re all in this league, and we’re all trying to learn how to win again. Everyone is just so good.
Q: What’s your status with the Philadelphia Force? Are you still under contract?
A: I signed a three-year contract with them, and I’ll probably be going back next summer. Unfortunately, I can’t really make a career out of softball. I would love to do that, but the funds aren’t really there. But there’s a lot of other things that I’m interested in doing. Hopefully, I can inspire other young girls to get into it and softball can become an empire and athletes would be able to live off of it.
Q: Did you enjoy living in Philladelphia?
A: Well, actually, I lived in Allentown, Penn. [about an hour north of Philadelphia]. That was an experience in itself. You could be in a really nice area, then walk a couple blocks and be in the ghetto. I liked living life in the fast lane. Coming from Tempe and being from San Luis Obispo, Calif., it was definitely different. It was good to get that worldly experience.
Q: Are you still taking classes at ASU?
A: Yeah, I’m a super senior. I’m taking 12 credits, including a theater class. Then I’ll just take one class next semester to graduate.
Q: What do you plan on pursuing after you’re done playing softball?
A: I would love to go into some form of broadcasting or write for some magazine. The journalism field is basically where I’m looking, since I’m pursuing a degree in creative writing and mass communication.
Q: Have you been able to go home at all since the end of last season?
A: I got to go home for a week. During that week, I got my jersey retired at Firestone’s [a local restaurant], which was phenomenal. I was the first female athlete to ever go on the wall; it was awesome. They put me right underneath Chuck Liddell — unfortunately.
Q: Do you still hang out with your former teammates?
A: Every now and then, I call and text the seniors and other girls who are still playing just to see how everybody is. But I know the girls who are playing right now are busy and everyone’s got their own agendas. But over the years we’ll all keep in contact. Especially the five seniors from last year, we were all really close.
Q: How often do you think about finishing your ASU career on top?
A: I think about it every once in a while, but I’m not going around thinking ‘Yeah, I’m a national champion’ every day. It’s more just a great memory that I will always keep with me. It’s a great accomplishment to have.
