Katelyn Samples is a four-year letterwinner for DC and a NFCA All-Academic Scholar. Samples is the starting right fielder for the Jackets in 2012.

Now is your chance to get to know Katelyn Samples away from the diamond, as we go beyond the box score with the senior outfielder.

20 Questions With Katelyn Samples

1-When did you start playing softball? I was nine years old when I started playing softball. I played T-ball and baseball before that, starting at age three.
 
2-What has been the highlight of your athletic career so far? In college, I would say winning the HCAC Tournament my freshman year and making it to NCAA Regionals.
 
3-What are your goals for the remainder of the 2012 season? My goal is for our team to make it to the conference tournament like last year but win the championship game this time and make it back to Regionals.
 
4-Who is your funniest teammate? Jess Mandula.

5-Do you have any nicknames? Samps.
 
6-What three words best describe you? Determined, humorous, approachable. 

7-What is your favorite restaurant? Olive Garden.
 
8-Who is your biggest hero? I contemplated and I do not have one biggest hero, but two. The first is my dad, Kerry Samples. He actually went to Defiance College and was a pitcher. My dad is my hero because he has supported me and has coached me growing up and in high school. He has taught me a lot about not only sports but life. He always tells me to not just want to make myself better but make those around me better as well, so we as a team can be successful.

The second hero in my life is my grandpa, John Wistner. He has been a big influence on my life and my softball career. He played professional men's fast-pitch softball and was a pitcher. He taught me how to pitch when I was 10 years old and has been my biggest fan since I started athletics.
 
9-Dream vacation spot? Cancun, Mexico.
 
10-What is the top song currently on your iPod? "Drive By," by Train.

11-Who was your childhood sports hero? Ken Griffey Jr. Go Reds!
 
12-Do you have any superstitions or pre-game routines? I listen to my pre-game music playlist before going out to the field and I always eat Subway for my pre-game meal.
 
13-If you could trade places with anyone for one day, who would it be? Mike Candrea, the Team USA head softball coach.

14-What is your favorite TV show? "Person of Interest" and "Hawaii Five-O."
 
15-What is something most people do not know about you? I took piano lessons for eight years.
 
16-What is your biggest fear? Losing those I love the most before getting to say goodbye.

17-Besides your own, what is your favorite sport to watch at Defiance? Men's soccer.

18-What is your favorite class or professor at DC and why? My favorite professor at DC is Dr. Buck Buchanan. He always has good class discussions and I learn a lot from his classes because he presents the information in a way that makes you want to retain it. 
 
19-What are your plans after graduating from DC? I plan to get a job in the sport management or business administration field. I also eventually plan on going to graduate school within the next two-to-four years, depending on what type of job I get. 
 
20-How has playing collegiate athletics at DC helped you in life? Playing collegiate athletics is an opportunity that many people do not get. I am very grateful that I have been able to play varsity softball here at DC for four years now. Being in a college sport has not only taught me to prioritize my life, but it has also taught me discipline and leadership skills that I can take with me the rest of my life.