_After wrapping up her Missouri softball career this spring, shortstop Sami Fagan joined the Akron Racers in the National Pro Fastpitch league. In her first season, she batted .392 with nine home runs and 39 runs batted in, earning Rookie of the Year and All-NPF shortstop honors._

_The Akron Racers are preparing for their first playoff game Friday, but after the [news that Mizzou coach Ehren Earleywine would return for an 11th season](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2016/8/18/missouri-softball-coach-ehren-earleywine-return-20/), Fagan talked to The Maneater’s Peter Baugh._

**The Maneater**: What were your emotions when you heard Coach Earleywine was officially coming back?

**Sami Fagan**: Just pure happiness, honestly. It was just a terrible situation that a lot of people had to go through, and it just was hard on a lot of people. And I think, just for me especially, kind of reliving what I went through at Florida and wanting him to stay so bad because he didn’t deserve anything that happened. Just the fact that he didn’t deserve to be gone and he’s not gone is just the biggest relief ever, and I’m so happy.

**ME**: So you saw similarities between your situation at the University of Florida [Fagan was dismissed from the Gators team after her freshman year, and she says she still doesn’t know what she did wrong] and his situation here?

**SF**: Yeah, definitely. It definitely brought that back.

**ME**: How did you think the athletic department handled the situation?

**SF**: I didn’t like how [Mack Rhoades] handled it, because we were in the middle of season and they wanted us to do the interviews and interrogation right after we came off a really good series win against Tennessee and our team felt really good. And then they made us do that, and it just put a damper on the whole entire team, and it didn’t leave us with a good taste in our mouth. It was just really tough as a team to forget about all that and play, because it affected Coach E. He’s our coach. It’s so hard to just put that away and play softball, so that’s the part I didn’t like about it, but our team ended up coming together and doing what we could do, so it made us better. But I think [Rhoades] could have handled it a lot better.

**ME**: How has your experience been playing in the National Pro Fastpitch league?

**SF**: It’s been really cool. I’m just blessed to be able to continue my career … winning Rookie of the Year, that was the coolest thing ever. All your hard work pays off. It was really special and it made me really happy, and I’m really blessed to be on the Akron Racers team.

**ME**: How has it been playing against your former Mizzou teammates in the NPF?

**SF**: Actually a lot of fun, because I get to see them, we get to go out to lunch and dinner and stuff when we play each other, so it’s cool to catch up and see how their experience is and just compare what’s going on with each other. It’s kind of weird when the actual game happens and you’re playing against them and they’re doing so good and you want to be happy for them, but you want to win. It’s kind of weird when it comes to that, but it’s really cool to catch up with them and stuff.

**ME**: And it sounds like you all had a good amount of success this season.

**SF**: Yeah, we did. I’m really proud of them. I think it just goes back to … having one of the best coaching staffs in the country. Coming off of that, we all know the game really well. And then just coming out of the SEC and playing the best pitchers in the country. I think the conference … just helped us prepare for the NPF.

**ME**: What will your role be at Mizzou next year? Will you be a graduate assistant?

**SF**: I’m going to try to get my strength coach certification and work in the weight room. They have grad assistant spots in the weight room. But until then, I’ll just be basically a student manager with the softball team and help out with them until I get that, and then I’ll be a grad assistant. I’m studying at Mizzou for two years to get my Masters degree.

**ME**: And then will you go back to the NPF team in the summers?

**SF**: Yes, I will.

**ME**: Describe your emotions being named Rookie of the Year and also being named to the All-NPF team.

**SF**: I can’t even describe it, it just made me so happy. My team, they made it more special for me because I’ve grown really close to them … just having their support and their love meant so much to me, and I couldn’t do it without them. I was just so happy I could bring it back to Akron.