Stacey Hagensen graduated from Newport in 2008 after earning KingCo MVP honors during her senior softball season and being named to the all-league team for the third time during her prep career.

She continued her career at Pacific Lutheran University and led the program to its first ever National Championship in 2012. The multiple-time All-American for the Lutes finished 2012 first in the Northwest Conference in several pitching categories, including games started (31), wins (28), complete games (25), shutouts (12), innings (216.3), batting average against (.207) and more. Hagensen finished the season with a record of 28-5 in the circle, including a complete game three-hit shutout of rival and defending National Champion Linfield in the title game.

She took some time to chat with the Reporter about her life in the circle, post-collegiate plans, the state of softball in the area and more.

REPORTER: When did you start playing softball?

STACEY HAGENSEN: I started when I was around 12.

REPORTER: What was your biggest key to success this year?

HAGENSEN: The group of girls, our team just made it so much fun to play. Everyone on that team was so encouraging and want each other to do well. It was nice to have that and have everyone be fun to hang around and hard working. Since we enjoyed playing together it helped us do better. People wanted to be there and put in that extra time, people were hitting and working out on their own.

REPORTER: Describe the feeling when you won the title.

HAGENSEN: At regionals, we got the last out and I had to remember the game was over. The final out in the championship game was a dropped third strike, so it was kind of different because we knew we had her, but the catcher still had to throw to first. It was kind of slow motion, everyone just standing still and watching that throw to the first baseman.

REPORTER: I saw a couple photos; in one you are standing in the circle and in the other you are nowhere to be seen in the dog-pile. Pretty tight quarters under there I’m sure…

HAGENSEN: I got tackled at some point and was on the ground with people on top of me. I remember my neck getting bent and I was trying to get people off me. Some people were giving us a hard time because there was no dog pile at Regionals or league. We knew we had to dog-pile.

REPORTER: Is it surreal to look back on the season you had and the way your career all ended?

HAGENSEN: Definitely, I still feel like I should show up at fall ball practice, I don’t have a lifting program for the summer. It’s just been an awesome four years. It almost feels like it’s not even over yet. It’s going to be weird.

REPORTER: After they won the title last year and being a conference and Pacific Northwest rival, did it feel extra special to beat Linfield?

HAGENSEN: It kind of helped us out that we played them in the championship game because we had seen them so many times and we weren’t nervous. We may have freaked out playing the defending national champions, but it just seemed like another game. In some ways it helped calm us down a little bit.

REPORTER: Of all the recognition you and the team have received from winning the championship, what was the most unexpected?

HAGENSEN: My coaches called and said I won the NCAA Woman of the Year. I filled out the application and wasn’t even sure if I had it filled out right. I actually did it the day it was due because I forgot about it. My coach called today and said they pick one for D-1, D-2, D-3 and they are flying me to L.A.

REPORTER: You had a dominant year in the circle. What was the single most important factor in your success?

HAGENSEN: I don’t really throw fastballs. Our pitching coach, this was her second year, she focuses a lot on spins and getting it to move correctly. I’ve had improvement on movement, our catcher could probably attest to that better. Since playoffs started she told me to “think black” to keep it on the corners.

REPORTER: You have done some work coaching kids and helping out at softball camps. What is your favorite part about working with kids and teaching softball?

HAGENSEN: The best part of working with kids is seeing them finally get it and watch them improve. They obviously have fun getting better and it is great to see that too.

REPORTER: What is your message to the girls you teach and coach?

HAGENSEN: A lot of it is if you want to do well, you have to work hard. I tell them it should be fun for you and also a great way to meet people. Girls that are thinking about plying in college, you automatically have 20 friends.