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It was just four short years ago that Mackenzie Kutzke was an Academic All-American outfielder, who batted .364 for the Cerritos College softball team. A lot of things can happen in four - or five years - to a student-athlete. After graduating from Los Alamitos High, Kutze spent the next five years playing for four colleges, which concluded in 2019 at Hope International University, where she was earning her MBA in Marketing Management. While the the Royals, Kutzke batted .342 while helping the team to a 46-14 record, the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Tournament championship and berth in the NAIA World Series.

Her journey started at the University of Montana, where she was a member of their inaugural team in 2015. Although the team went through the rigors of being a first-year program, the Grizzlies managed a 16-34 record, with Kutzke playing a key role in the program's first-ever win. Her bases loaded double in a six-run fourth inning helped the team to an 11-5 win over the University of San Diego. Kutzke, an honor student at every college, capped off the season by being named to the Academic All-Big Sky Conference and was a NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete.

The next stop was with the Falcons in 2016 (pictured, left), and they posted a 31-14 record that season while reaching the Southern California Super Regional. One of the team's offensive leaders, Kutzke hit at a .364 clip, clubbed five home runs and drove in 33 runs. Continuing her excellence both on and off the field, she was named an Academic All-American. Even before transferring to Cerritos, Kutzke already had a connection to the college, as her father, Cary was a member of the 1983 men's basketball state championship team.

Kutzke then signed with Loyola Marymount University, where she spent two years, although the second was spent as a medical red-shirt. Kutzke earned her Bachelor's degree in Communications, but still had another year of eligibility for softball and made the decision to enroll at Hope International, where she continued her education and played a roll in the team's success.

While at Loyola Marymount, Kutzke began to get involved in the behind the scenes aspect of athletics and served as a Media Relations Intern. She was able to parlay that experience into the job of Sports Information Director at Hope International University, where she is finishing up her first year.

Below is a Q&A with Mackenzie Kutzke:

Coming out of high school, you signed with the University of Montana and was part of their first-ever softball team. What was the process like for you to be recruited and then be part of a first-year program?
I did not sign with University of Montana until my senior year of high school. Coach (Jamie) Pinkerton had come to a couple of my travel ball games, but what really sealed the deal was a camp at my high school that my coach held and Coach Pinkerton attended. Once I went on my visit to Missoula, Montana and got to spend time with Coach Pinkerton and Coach Mel (Melanie Meuchel). As they showed me around, I felt this was the best decision for me due to the goals they had set for the program and their culture of treating us like family. Committing to the University of Montana and being a part of the inaugural softball team was a once in a lifetime experience that I will cherish forever. Being able to be a part of a season of firsts is none like any other. I was one of the first ones to walk onto a newly built field, start in the first game in program history, and play a role in our first win in program history by doubling against the University of San Diego. I learned a lot from my head coach Jamie Pinkerton during my freshman year and he made the inaugural season of Griz softball one to remember.

After one season, you made the decision to leave Montana. How did that decision come about and what made you decide to transfer to Cerritos?
After the season was over, I decided to transfer due to being homesick and wanting to be closer to my family. This was one of the toughest decisions I made in my softball career because I loved my coaches and teammates. However, I missed not being able to see my family when I wanted to.

Your dad, Cary, was a member of the 1983 state championship men's basketball team at Cerritos College. Did he play any role in your deciding to transfer to Cerritos College?
Yes, my dad played a huge role in me transferring to Cerritos. When I decided I wanted to transfer to a community college, Cerritos College was the only one that came to mind because of my dad's affiliation with the school and his friendship with basketball coach, Russ May. Coach May connected me with Coach (Kodee) Murray and once I went on my visit and had a talk with Coach Murray in the softball press box, I knew it was the place to be.

What was it like to have him at so many of your games during your collegiate playing career?
My parents had decided when I was young that at least one of them would be at every single one of my games. They committed to that all throughout my five years of college softball. Having my dad AND mom (pictured, left with Mackenzie) at so many of my games during my collegiate playing career is something that I will always be grateful for. Seeing both of my parents in the stands for a majority of my games always brought a smile to my face and showed me how proud they were of me always. I cannot thank my parents enough for the endless amount of support they provided me with because without them this whole journey would not have been possible.

What are some of the most memorable experiences you had as a student and athlete in your one season with the Falcons?
The most memorable experience of being a Falcon was getting to play for Coach Murray (pictured, right with Kutzke). Not only did she hold us accountable for everything, push us to be our best every day, but she allowed us to have fun while doing it. I am proud to be a Falcon and I tell Coach Murray all the time that I wish I had another year to play for her. I miss going into her office almost everyday before practice and talking about softball/life/everything with her, (former assistant coach) Jenel Guadagno throwing batting practice to me before practice, and stepping onto Nancy Kelly Field and knowing I have Coach Murray in my corner. Another memorable part of being a Falcon for my one year was my team. We had a very special team with a lot of talent that led us to the Southern California Super Regional Playoffs. Unfortunately we ended the season short of what we wanted but it was an unforgettable year.

It was time to make another decision on where to transfer. What did you like about Loyola Marymount that made you choose to transfer there? Were you being recruited by any other schools?
When it came to the time to make the decision of where I wanted to transfer to out of Cerritos, I knew that I wanted to stay close to home and stay in Southern California. I had many offers from other schools coming out of Cerritos, but LMU fit my checklist of being close to home and having great academics which was most important to me.

After one full season and a shortened medical red-shirt senior season, you transitioned on to your fourth school in five years. How did you end up at Hope International University to play your senior season? 
Academics. Coach (Dennis) Blas provided me the opportunity to pursue my Master's Degree and complete my fifth and final year of softball.

How did each of the four schools differ from each other and what were the similarities?
They all gave me positive experiences. I was able to take away valuable life lessons from each coach, and created some long lasting friendships from each school.

During your time at Loyola Marymount, you spent two years as an Athletics Media Relations intern. What were some of your responsibilities while in that role?
As an Athletic Media Relations Intern at LMU, I worked a lot of the fall and winter sporting events which included set up, live streaming, and assisted in stating basketball, soccer and volleyball games. While I interned during the summer before going into my senior year, this was when I started to learn everything a SID does behind the scenes from website development, social media, graphic design, writing articles and editing/creating videos. In addition, every week I reported, filmed, and edited a recap of that week in athletics. This experience made me realize that this was something that I enjoyed doing, something that I was good at, and something I wanted to pursue.

What career goals had you considered while attending college? Did you know you always wanted to work in the athletic industry?
While attending college I always knew I wanted to work in athletics. I just was not always sure what avenue I wanted to take. At first, I was intrigued with the idea of being a sideline reporter. As my experience with the LMU athletics department went on, I realized I also enjoyed the writing aspect of athletics and telling a story.

How does someone decide to make the decision to be a Sports Information Director?
Opportunity. I loved my experience with LMU and thought my Communications undergraduate degree and Master's Degree in Business Marketing Management would be a good mix for this type of position. I am able to put my love for sports and writing together.

Being caught in a worldwide pandemic is not the most ideal way to begin a career. What has the last year been like for you as you get accustomed to the position?
I began my job at Hope International University as the Head SID at the start of the new year (January 2020). I was able to transition into this role pretty smoothly due to my experience I had had as a intern at LMU and with help from my predecessor.

What has been the biggest hurdle for you in that time? What role of the position did you fit into faster than any other?
The biggest hurdle is seeing the athletes not able to compete and not being able to report on the competitions. The role that I fit into the fastest was the ability to stat the games and doing the game recaps. I grew up my whole life around sports and I was even the stat-girl for my brother's high school basketball team.

Do you see this as a longtime career decision, or is there something else you're working towards while finishing up your Master's degree?
I graduated with my Master's Degree in May and I see a career in athletics as a longtime career decision.

Bonus Question:

Of the four colleges you attended, which Sports Information Director was the best?
The SID at Cerritos College and Head SID at LMU both had a positive impact on pursing a SID position at Hope International. John Van Gaston set the bar really high for me as a SID because he is the best at getting the post-game articles, stats, and pictures posted immediately after all sporting events. This is something I always keep in the back of mind while I am posting for all the sports at HIU.