Iyhia McMichael went to Mississippi State to play softball.
“People often ask me ‘Why Mississippi State?’ and I say, ‘Why not?’” she said. “The university means everything to me. I was choosing a school with the same mindset instilled in me by my parents.”
And that correlation to her parents means a lot to McMichael, a 2000 graduate of Nacogdoches High School who helped lead the Dragons’ softball team to a state semifinal appearance.
McMichael is one of the most accomplished athletes in MSU history; in October, she was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. McMichael was a three-time All-American at the Southeastern Conference school and two-time SEC Player of the Year while at State. She also earned Academic All-American honors as a senior.
McMichael credits the impact of her parents – Clarence and Beverly – for both laying the groundwork for and providing the motivation leading to a playing career that began in Nacogdoches and stretched all the way into professional softball and a place on the USA national team.
“So much of my athletic journey stemmed from the unwavering support and endless sacrifice from my parents,” McMichael wrote earlier this fall in a social media post after receiving the Mississippi State athletic honor. “There is no one that does support like Clarence McMichael and Beverly Murray McMichael.
Later, in a telephone interview, McMichael said, “I realize how impactful that has been – that I wouldn’t be where I am today without that. It has 1,000 percent made me what I am today.”
McMichael’s production on offense at Mississippi State between 2001 and 2004 was prodigious. She batted .381 in her career, homered 37 times and drove in 182 runs in 258 career games. In her senior season, McMichael hit .475 at the plate and drew so many walks she reached base more than 75 percent of the time. McMichael stole 41 bases during her final season with the Bulldogs.
Iyhia was a four-time all-SEC selection while at Mississippi State; she was inducted as part of the 2012 Class of Southeastern Conference Greats.
“McMichael is one of the most accomplished athletes in MSU history,” read a Mississippi State social media post accompanying her Hall of Fame induction at the school. “She was a three-time All-American and two-time SEC Player of the Year while at State. She also earned Academic All-American honors as a senior.
“McMichael ranks inside the MSU single-season top 10 in every major batting category, and her career numbers rank inside the top five in most categories as well. She was also incredibly talented in the field, still holding MSU's single-season and career records for outfield assists.”
Iyhia McMichael’s family is a Nacogdoches institution.
Her grandfather, Clarence “Bo” McMichael Sr., was the legendary football coach of E.J. Campbell High School that served Black students in Nacogdoches. McMichael was a longtime teacher, high school coach and community leader. In addition to a long career in public education that began after he served with the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II, McMichael was elected to three terms on the NISD Board of Trustees.
In May 2003, NISD trustees voted to place McMichael’s name on the new middle school that was then under construction on SE Stallings Drive. McMichael Middle School opened a year later.
Support from home – already substantial – became even more so after her father – a longtime football coach for the Dragons – immersed himself in learning the game of softball so he could coach the Dragon program on the field.
“It wasn’t until after I left that I understood that my dad truly went to the drawing board to learn the sport of softball,” Iyhia said. “With him at the helm of the softball program, there was just a level of excellence that was expected.”
Iyhia was a junior at Nacogdoches High School when the Dragons reached the Class 5A state semifinals, losing 1-0 to Richland. A year later, as a senior, McMichael’s Dragons made it to the regional final before losing to Bryan. (Four years later, the Lady Dragons returned to the state tournament with McMichael still the coach and Iyhia’s younger sister, Eren, on the team.)
Those Nacogdoches teams were loaded with talent. Catcher Jessica Allister was in the same class and served as battery mate to McMichael, who was the team’s top pitcher. Allister went on to star at Stanford University and today is head softball coach at the Palo Alto, Calif., institution. In June, Stanford was one of the last four teams standing in the College Softball World Series.
“We all had the same mindset,” Iyhia said. “Everyone just wanted to be great, the sister standing to your left and your right.”
McMichael and Allister also played together on the Katy Cruisers, a travel club that required weekly visits on Sundays. Jessica’s and Iyhia’s mothers alternated the regular trips to Katy on Sundays. Then, of course, more travel was needed for the summer tournaments.
The experience proved invaluable. The Cruisers won back-to-back nationals and every girl on the team went on to play softball at a Power 5 school.
That athletic talent combined with the passion for winning showed up in other sports. McMichael played on Lady Dragon basketball and volleyball teams that made long playoff runs. Her senior year, the basketball team advanced to a regional final; in her junior year, the volleyball team advanced as far as the regional semifinals.
Today, McMichael teaches English and coaches softball at Emerson High School in Frisco. She also provides instruction for softball players through “Hitting with Mac” and helps with USA under-15 softball.
“I stay pretty busy but it’s a good busy.”
And she’s still reaping benefits from the influence of her parents.
“My dad goes three times a week for dialysis while he awaits a kidney transplant – and we’re praying fervently for a donor – but that doesn’t stop him and my mother from driving to Frisco, even on the day of a dialysis session, to see Iyhia’s 8th-grade son play a basketball game.
“That’s something I respect so much about my parents!”
Photo credit: Mississippi State Athletics