In the 39-year history of Kennesaw State softball, very few have had an impact on the program and as successful a career at the plate as infielder No. 99 Taylor Cates.
Her legendary five-year career saw two ASUN All-Conference selections, three ASUN All-Academic honors, and NFCA All-Region honor and three-consecutive ASUN Preseason All-Conference selections. In 2022, she earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors.
Statistically, she batted .306 with 217 games played, 208 starts, 118 runs scored, 183 hits, 40 doubles, 48 home runs, 152 RBI, 22 stolen bases and a slugging percentage of .619.
Sunday’s 9-4 victory over FGCU on Senior Day marked the final game of Cates’ career with the Black and Gold and closed a memorable chapter for not only her life, but for the KSU softball program.
The Canton, Ga. native first got into softball at six years old with her local recreation team. From there, through middle school and at Cherokee High School (where she holds the Warriors home run record), she knew this was something she wanted to pursue at the collegiate level.
“Going through travel ball I knew I wanted to play at the next level,” Cates said.
After a successful career at Cherokee, it was another legendary Kennesaw State Owl softball player, Sharon Swanson, that led to Cates’ decision to enroll at KSU.
“Growing up, my dad coached Sharon, one of my favorite players and someone I looked up to and was a role model for me,” she explained. “Kennesaw State seemed like a perfect home for me.”
Current Owl head coach Tripp MacKay was not the head man when Cates committed to Kennesaw State but was the last of three Owl head coaches in the role between her commitment to her first game on the field. But the coaching changes did not change her decision.
“I knew this is where I was about to spend the next four years, and luckily it turned out to be five,” Cates recalled.
Despite a difficult freshman season with internal battles, Cates bought in to Coach MacKay’s philosophy to propel her to success. If she could go back and tell her freshman self one thing, it would be simple: “trust the process.”
Following her freshman year in 2019, KSU softball took off to start the 2020 season, winning 13 of its first 14 games and launching to a 21-4 record before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sports world.
“That team was something else, we were on a roll,” Cates said. “I talk about it all the time with Coach Brea Dickey and Faith Alexander, that team was scary and to be on such a high – I would do anything to be able to finish out that season.”
As a sophomore that season, she batted .400 (one of four players with that mark or higher) with 28 hits and four homers. KSU outscored opponents 166-73 before the season was shut down prior to conference play opening against FGCU on Mar. 14, 2020.
But the success would not be short-lived as KSU rolled into a memorable 2021 season.
KSU went 27-27 and fell to Liberty in the 2021 ASUN Championship game 5-4, but found its way into the NCAA Tallahassee Regional with an at-large bid. But it was no guarantee the Owls would secure a spot in the tournament and made for a fun surprise when they heard their name.
“We figured we’ll get together, relax and watch the selection show – nobody had any idea what was about to happen,” Cates explained. “Our name pops up on the screen and I’ve never felt an emotion like that before. It was excitement and shock that our season wasn’t over. It was surreal and an awesome moment to experience with the girls.”
Matched up with Florida State, Auburn and UCF, the Owls faced a tough task but eliminated Auburn 1-0 on May 22 to earn the program’s first-ever NCAA Division I tournament victory.
“One of the coolest moments I got to experience was that regional,” Cates said. “Beating Auburn was my favorite game of all-time.”
Cates spring boarded from that incredible season for the team to one of the best individual seasons at the plate in 2022.
“I wanted to continue to work hard and show what I can do,” Cates said. “I wanted to help my team any way that I can and the softball gods helped me out a little bit.”
In 2022, she led the team in home runs (19), slugging percentage (.847), total bases (133) – which set the KSU DI single-season record for all three – batting average (.389), OPS (1.280), runs scored (40), hits (61), doubles (15), on-base percentage (.433) and tied for the team lead with 11 stolen bases.
“I’m very thankful I was able to accomplish those things,” she said. “I really just trying to win and do everything that I possibly could for them.”
Fast forward to 2023 and with an extra year of eligibility, Cates decided to return for a fifth season at KSU. But the decision to come back was very easy.
“Before COVID hit, I was student-teaching so I decided to push my degree over five years,” she explained. “And if I was going to be on campus finishing my degree, I wasn’t not going to play softball. I can’t be at that school without being on that field.”
During the 2023 season, Cates had the hectic schedule of trying to balance practices, games, classes and being a student-teacher.
“I was teaching for eight hours a day, going to practice, competing, traveling while also working on homework and lesson plans,” Cates said. “I’m very thankful my supervisors were flexible with my schedules. It was very challenging with a lot of late nights but I wouldn’t trade the experiences I had this semester for anything.”
With those memorable experiences, her favorite on-field moment from her final season was KSU’s upset win over No. 7/6 Alabama on Feb. 26.
“Kenley pitched lights-out and that was the first time I’ve seen her do the fist-pumps and it kind of got everyone fired up,” she explained. “We were emotionally and physically exhausted afterwards and if you feel that after a game, you know you did everything you could. That game was a lot of fun and showed that we can do hard things, that they aren’t impossible.”
With all the stats, records and accomplishments she has garnered over her career, she credits her parents for being the most influential to her success.
“My dad has gotten me through the mental struggles and frustrations,” she mentioned. “They’re the first people cheering me on through my success. Seeing their faces in the stands never gets old and they’re my biggest supporters – through every up and down, they are always there. They are my why.”
In her career, she set seven KSU records including most consecutive starts (187) and finished top-six in eight other offensive categories.
But with all of that, there is one record she is most proud of.
“Obviously the home runs,” Cates exclaimed. “That was something I’m very proud of. My goal wasn’t to come in and break records but I wanted to be in the top five. I knew my power but I don’t try to go out there and hit homers, they just happen. I’m very thankful and proud that I was able to break that one.”
Besides the homers, there’s one thing Taylor Cates is known for by Owl fans in the stands at Bailey Park: her walk-up song Taylor Gang by Wiz Khalifa.
“Hannah Thomason (KSU outfielder from 2016-2021) said she had a walk-up song for me and I said ‘I don’t know I really like the one I had,'” she recalled. “Then she played it and I got to the part where it said ‘Taylor Gang’ and I thought this could be something.”
With her Owl career now in the rear view, the infielder looks ahead to the next chapter of her life as she graduates with a Bachelor of Science in elementary education this week.
“I accepted a job at Holly Spring Elementary School to teach third grade,” Cates said, following in the footsteps of her dad and grandmother.
In addition to teaching in the classroom, she will also be teaching on the field and court as well. Cates is set to coach softball and basketball at Sequoyah High School in Canton, Ga.
With a bright future ahead of her, Cates reflected on how successful her career at KSU really was and while she expected to play well – she never envisioned this level of success.
“I knew that I competed really hard and I knew my abilities,” Cates remarked. “I didn’t think it would turn out exactly how it did but I knew I wanted to be great and play the game that I know and love. What I’ll remember the most is that it’s always felt like one giant family. I was lucky to be here for five years and to say that its ending is very bittersweet. I wouldn’t be the person I am without this university and the people I’ve had around me.”
She also highlights the coaches over these last five years that have helped her grow as a player, including one that she used to share the field with.
“I’ve had multiple coaches as a player here and I wouldn’t be who I am without them,” she mentioned. “Coach MacKay has had my back all five years and I’ve been with him since his first day. Brea Dickey was one of the ones in my support system when she was a player and now again as an assistant coach. Coach Crystal Hampton and Coach Peejay Brun have also been very supportive and it’s been fun getting to play for them.”
With this support system Cates has had over these past five years building her into the player she is today, she wants to be remembered for more than just her on-field accomplishments.
“I want to be remembered more than just what I accomplished record or numbers-wise,” she said. “I want to be remembered as someone who works extremely hard and goes after what I want, and as a competitor and challenges others to go after what they want as well. I want to be remembered as the person that I am and how I’ve been able to help this program grow and transform from the better, and to get other girls to grow as well.”
This past Sunday, Cates sent home run No. 48 over the left-center fence of Bailey Park in her final at-bat at Kennesaw State, putting a storybook ending on a career Owl fans will never forget.