March 26, 2004
Amanda Burke, an all-conference and all-region midfielder on the nationally-ranked Texas A&M soccer team, will spend some time visiting this spring with fellow student-athletes in a regular feature here on AggieAthletics.com. Amanda sat down this week with Sharonda McDonald, a freshman outfielder on the Texas A&M softball team. Sharonda, from Dobie High School in Houston, has already set a new single-season stolen base record at A&M. Heading into this weekend's series with No. 9 Oklahoma, she has swiped 30 bases.
As a rookie, you're leading the Big 12 in stolen bases, and you've already broken the single season record set here at A&M. What's that like?
"Well, I really don't think about it, and I probably would have never known it if someone wouldn't have said anything. I don't know...I guess it's just my job to get on base."
On several occasions you've converted what normally would be a single into a double or sometimes even a triple by utilizing your speed. What are you thinking as you round the bases and stretch out your run?
"I think it's just instinct. I think the more you don't think about it, the easier it is."
 Sharonda McDonald is having a strong freshman season at Texas A&M. |
Do you have a certain routine when you go up to bat or have any superstitions?
"Before I get up to bat, I like to tell Coach Wiggs (Rich Wieligman) that I'm going to get on. That's like our thing now."
What about when you're taking the field?
"Oh me and Jana (James) have some crazy stuff [handshakes], and I have one with everybody."
When do you decide about your handshake?
"We just kind of make it up as we go along. Just on the field, you make something up and go with it!"
Coming from a team coached by a male, what's it like playing for a female coach? Is it different?
"My whole life I played for a guy coach, but I love Coach Evans. I think she knows so much. Yeah, there's a lot (that's) different. My last team, he (coach) was like our dad because I played with that team for like 10 years. It's just different having a different coach in the first place. I think she's more personal just because she's a woman and we're women so she can relate to us better."
Well, I heard you have a boyfriend who has been pretty successful running track at Rice. However, you still claim you can beat him. What's that competitive part of your relationship like?
"(Laughing) Well, one time I beat him because I think he gave me a 10-meter head start and we were running a 30 [meter race] or something. That's the only time I ever beat him. We are so competitive with each other, and we have this joke that he can never beat me in anything! It was so funny because we were at Sharper Image and that store has all these scales, and they had the best scale that doctors use or something. So we got on it! It was 146.8 when I got on it, and it was 146.8 when he got on it. He was like 'Can't I beat you at anything!!' It was so funny. It's just stuff like that that we always joke around with."
Is there any significance with your jersey number being 8?
"When I was little, 8 was my favorite number because I was born March 8th. I was the number 8 in volleyball. Every sport I was number 8 through high school."
You're a very versatile player capable of playing in the infield or the outfield, but what's your favorite position?
"When I got here I didn't care, but I'm really liking outfield."
Would you ever want to be a pitcher?
"(Chuckle) Oh no! I'm glad I never went that way! I would never be a pitcher or a catcher. You can stick me anywhere else. It's just stressful!"
What are your thoughts on this weekend and starting Big 12 action?
"Well, I know OU is No. 9. If we play how I know we can play then we can beat them. I mean they're not 'super people,' you know...they can be beaten. They have a good pitcher, but we can hit her. If we just play like we know we can then we got it."