When University of South Alabama softball's Kamdyn Kvistad chose to use her "Covid year" and return for her fifth year with the program, she forgot she was one home run away from the Jags' all-time career record. On February 19, when she hit her 29th home run, Kvistad didn't realize that was the one she was missing.

"I knew at the end of last season there was talk about me breaking it especially since I was coming back for my fifth year, but it just left my mind. I guess I was just hoping it was going to happen one day. It wasn't until after the game someone came up to me and asked if I realized that was the one that broke the record," Kvistad said.

Since the age of five, she spent her free time on the diamond, dreaming of breaking records playing the game she loved. As she rose through the ranks of recreational, travel and high school softball the activity became a family affair. Any time her older sister, Kayli, went to the local high school to practice so did Kamdyn. 

"We would have my mom, dad and grandparents out there. My grandparents liked to sit and watch, my grandfather is pretty knowledgeable about the game, so he liked giving his two cents when he was out there," Kvistad said. "We grew up practicing together, but because my sister is three and a half years older than me, the only time we got to play together was her senior and my freshman year of high school, which was pretty special."

While Kayli went on to continue her softball career at the University of Florida, where she was a two-time All-American and all-SEC selection, Kamdyn chose to pave her own path at South Alabama after a family friend connected her with head coach Becky Clark.

"One of my sisters really good friends in high school, Stephanie Pilkington, played softball here so that's how I heard about South," Kvistad said. "Obviously, I came to a lot of camps as well. Coach Clark would come watch my play too. After coming on visits and keeping in contact with Coach Clark, South Alabama felt like home. Everything fit perfectly and it worked out."

Since her arrival at South, Kvistad has stood out at the plate. In 2018, her freshman season, she recorded eight home runs, three of which were in a single game against Coastal Carolina, a mark which still stands as the most in a single game by a Jag. Her performance in that April matchup first inked her name in the South Alabama record book. 

The following season, she matched her previous home run tally, while exceeding it in 2021 with 10. Adding in her two homers in the shortened 2020 season, Kvistad's total came to 28 career home runs, tying with Christin Crocker and Kaitlyn Griffith, heading into her fifth season as a Jaguar. 

"Kam has always led with her effort and toughness," Clark said. "She has been playing through injury and has the toughness to show up and compete every day in whatever role I ask her to fill. She knows the game and does a great job of managing the pitching staff and the field in general. She takes that same mentality to the plate and has been a big part of our offense throughout her career at South."

In South Alabama's eighth game earlier this spring, trailing 2-0 to Butler at THE Spring Games in Leesburg, Fla., Kvistad cut the deficit in half with her one-out home run to center on a field, just two hours from where grew up. With her whole family in the stands, she rounded the bases unaware of what she had just accomplished. 

"My sister didn't get my hit on video, but as soon as she realized it was going to go, she pulled out her phone to try to video at least some portion of the moment," Kvistad said. "The whole family was there since that was the closest game from my house. It was sweet to have everyone there watching. It was a special moment and I wouldn't have had it any other way."  

A week later, in a tournament honoring Kassidy Wilcox's sister, Kvistad hit number 30. Leading off the fourth inning, which broke a scoreless tie and proved to be the game winner in South Alabama's 1-0 win over Mississippi State. 

"That weekend had a lot of emotional highs. There was a lot going on," Kvistad said. "Just like the other home run it just kind of happened. We were just in the spot of a 0-0 ball game, so I was just trying to put a good part of bat to good part of ball to get my team rolling with something."

The run allowed her to break her own record and allowed the Jags' first win over a Power 5 program this season.

"With an SEC game or a big team there is always hype around it. We treat everyone the same but it is extra cool when you get to do it with a team like that. They are very respected because they are a good program. They have a good pitching staff and good hitters so games like that are extra fun," Kvistad said. 

This past weekend, Kvistad helped the Jags clinch their SBC road series over ULM by sending her 31st home run deep over the wall in center in the seventh inning on Saturday. The senior also posted her 116th and 117th career RBI in Sunday's finale as her two-run single proved to be the only scoring in the 2-0 victory over the Warhawks.

With the regular season coming to a close, Clark sees a bright future for her home run leader. 

"I think our fans will continue to see Kam compete for her team and fight for us to finish our season strong. We still have a lot of softball to play and my hope is she and her team will finish this season the right way. For the past few weeks, we have fought to get back to winning softball and we need to ride the momentum we have created for ourselves into the last part of our season."

The Jags have climbed their way from a nine-game losing streak at the start of the season to the second-best team in the conference, however, Kvistad and her team are not done yet.

"For the team and myself, we just take it one game at a time. Each game we give 100 percent effort," Kvistad said. "Long term, we want to win conference and make it to a regional, then super regional and eventually to Oklahoma City. Short term though, we want to take it one game at a time, each opponent at a time. If we take it one game at a time, those games will add up to where we want to go."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all
Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Bullpen Club, the softball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  Members have access to purchase parking passes and receive Jaguar Softball gear.  All donations to the Bullpen Club go directly to support the South Alabama softball program.  For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/bullpenclub.

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