Ex-Poteau softball standout joining Mississippi State program

Emma Hackler saw her future college softball team achieve a historic first not too far from her home in Poteau. In late May, she traveled to Norman, Okla., to see Mississippi State University pull off one of the biggest upsets in the recent history of the NCAA softball tournament.

The Bulldogs took a best-of-three super regional series against Oklahoma, arguably the premier program in the sport. With that super regional win, MSU clinched a trip to the Women’s College World Series for the first time in school history. And Hackler was one of the very few people inside Love’s Field who was glad to see that remarkable feat unfold.

A surreal moment for her, indeed.

“It was so awesome,” Hackler said. “They had been ranked 11-20 all year, so it was so exciting to see them make it to the World Series.”

Just a few days later, Hackler made another short trip, this time to Oklahoma City for MSU’s historic inaugural appearance in the Women’s College World Series. Although the Bulldogs lost the only two games they played there, she never forgot the thrill of seeing them in action.

“It was really cool to see the team that I’ll be playing for next year playing on the biggest stage,” she said. “I’m so excited to be a part of their program and those expectations.”

Hackler, a pitcher and outfielder in high school, plans to continue to do both when she heads to the MSU campus in Starkville later this summer.

“They recruited me as a two-way player to be able to pitch, hit and play outfield,” Hackler said.

In her career at Poteau, Hackler had a 1.42 earned run average with more than 650 strikeouts. She also batted .457 with 24 home runs as a Lady Pirate.

“Reflecting back, I’m extremely proud not only of my own accomplishments, but more importantly of my team’s success,” Hackler said. “In my four years, we won over 100 games, which is one of the most successful periods, if not the most, in Poteau softball history. I’m thankful to have been recognized as All-State this year, the District Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year twice, and Newcomer of the Year my freshman year.”

Prior to her senior season at Poteau, and knowing she was about to sign with a major Southeastern Conference program, Hackler was determined to work on her strength. Signing with MSU was another pinnacle to a lifelong passion Hackler has for softball, something which began at an early age.

“I started when I was 3 years old,” she said. “I played a lot of sports growing up, but softball just became my favorite. My dad (Eric) and I have spent what seems like thousands of hours pitching and hitting all these years, and I’m so grateful for those times.”

She also brought an intense approach to her studies. Hackler graduated from Poteau with a weighted grade point average of 4.28 along with 24 college credit hours. At MSU, she plans to major in speech pathology.

In August, Hackler will officially report to Mississippi State. But she’s going to have plenty of softball games to keep her busy before checking into her dorm room. On June 6, Hackler competed in the Oklahoma Fastpitch Coaches Association All-State Game. She helped the East squad to a 7-4 win, starting the game at pitcher and throwing two hitless innings while going 2-for-2 at the plate, driving in two runs.

Now, Hackler is playing her last summer in travel ball, competing with the Aces 18-under national team which is based out of Kansas City.

“We’ll be playing all over the country against the best competition from California to Colorado to Georgia and then to Indiana at AFCS (Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series) nationals the end of July,” Hackler said. “I’ll then report to Mississippi State in August.”