Carolina Feels Like Home for Softball's Tate Davis

Tate Davis was raised less than an hour from Clemson, but the sophomore infielder transfer always wanted to wear South Carolina’s garnet and black.

“I grew up in Tiger town, but I grew up a Carolina fan,” said Davis, who is from Greer, S.C. and came to Columbia after one season at Ole Miss. “I can say that confidently. My parents went to law school here, and my brother played baseball for (South Carolina alumnus) Landon Powell at North Greenville University. I had a lot of connections to bring me back.”

Another one of those connections was South Carolina associate head coach Katie Browder, who had recruited her to play at Ole Miss while an assistant for the Rebels.

“When I entered the portal, I wanted to come home because I knew the type of culture they had here,” said Davis, who committed before she visited campus and is studying sports media. “I really do believe that the coaches care deeply about us. I just believed that this is where God wanted me to be.

“The campus and all of that didn’t matter as much to me. I had a list of questions when I was entering the portal. Coach Katie was my first call about one minute after I entered portal, and before I could really ask anything, she had answered all of my questions. Everything I wanted to know, they told me. I just knew!”

Whether it’s a love of Harry Potter movies or practicing her faith with many of her teammates, Davis found a lot of common ground with her new team.

“I’m a huge Harry Potter nerd,” Davis said. “So, is my roommate JAM (Jamie Mackay), who transferred with me from me Ole Miss. My dog is named Dobby after the house elf.

“My faith is very important to me, too. We have bible study as a team. The girls make it so you don’t feel obligated to do anything. It’s player-led. We just say, if you want to come to bible study, that’s great. If you don’t, that’s fine too. Our teammates know that we love each other unconditionally, and that means that no matter who you are or what you believe in, I love you just the same. I love playing softball with you, and first and foremost we are teammates, and we’re a family. There’s no judgement ever passed. Everybody is just so welcoming. I’ve grown in my faith so much since I’ve been here. I thank God every day that I have the opportunity to play softball and wake up and get to live out my dreams. We have the freedom to be who we are.”

Davis grew up in an athletic family, with her mother (Joy) being a four time All-American at Ohio for swimming and her father (Dodd) ran track and Furman. The youngest of four, her two older brothers played baseball, and she always wanted to be just like them.

“I started playing baseball when I was three and started playing softball when I was six,” David said. “It reminded me of home and my family. To this day, I still have joy playing softball. I do love to hit. That’s my passion. I’m a competitor. I don’t like to lose. I’m full of energy. I think I’m a dangerous hitter.

“One of the main conversations I’ve had with my teammates is that it’s OK to fail. We’re in a sport where you fail a lot. I think the coaches have made it to be a great and safe environment where you can come to compete every day, and if you’re not executing, you figure out how to do it without fear of judgement. It’s an amazing place to grow.”

Davis is close with both of her parents and even gives her dad permission to pick out one of her walk-up songs each year.

“My parents are my superheroes,” Davis said. “My dad and I talk daily. He’s the most selfless person I’ve ever met. He took me day or night to hit or field any time I needed it in high school. He started teaching me about mental toughness and how to take care of my business. With my mom, it’s the same thing. She’s always given me a great support system. I just lucked out and won the parent lottery.

“I’m so excited to be here this year. I think we have something special. I just know I’m in the right place.”