Sporting dreadlocks and a killer swing, senior first base Nat Furrow is carrying the MSU softball team to offensive greatness.
Furrow leads the team and Big Ten with a .447 batting average, in addition to owning the most hits (63) and doubles (16).
"I think as you get older, if you keep working, you become a better player," she said. "I just really like to play softball and it's my last year, so I really want to end on a good note."
And that won't be hard.
Furrow also leads the team with 38 RBI, which is second in the Big Ten, and is tied for the most home runs (5).
At first base this season, Furrow has made just two errors, giving her a fielding percentage of .993 - another team best.
"Natalie Furrow will be one of the greatest hitters to ever hit here - and first basemen, too," softball head coach Jacquie Joseph said. "She's been a starter since she got here as a freshman and that's rare - for a player to be that good and that consistent for four years."
Furrow, a social relations major, came to MSU from Mills E. Godwin High School in San Diego, Calif., where she was a three-time offensive player of the year, a three-year letterwinner and a captain of her softball team.
Though several teams recruited her from the Midwest region, Furrow said she just had a "feeling" about MSU.
"What made MSU stand out was I felt a real good vibe when I came here," she said. "I felt that I would enjoy playing on the team for Coach J.
"It's a big honor to be a senior on the team now because that means you've earned your leadership. That's probably the best (accomplishment) - knowing that I've earned my place on the team to be a leader."
Furrow has earned second-team All-Big Ten honors twice in her collegiate career, and last season was named to the Great Lakes All-Region team. In addition, she recently grabbed the record for single-season doubles in school history at 16.
"There's nothing that I've done personal or statistic-wise that is independent of the team," Furrow said. "Everything is because of the team and my teammates."
Furrow is known for her unique characteristics and the various groups and activities she participates in outside of athletics. She listens to political hip-hop, is a former chairperson of the Alliance of Lesbian, Bi, Gay and Transgender Students and currently is involved with the Coalition of Racial and Ethnic Students and the Council of Progressive Students.
But her teammates appreciate the motivating energy she brings to the field.
"She has a lot of good leadership skills - she can get us going when no one really wants to," senior Angel Merren said. "And she's always in the game, even when some of us are not."
In her last year of eligibility, Furrow said she is having fun, especially when the team wins, and added that she has learned a lot about herself since being here at MSU. Patience and confidence are the two most valuable lessons and qualities Furrow said she has acquired.
"She has gotten better because she's a more mature hitter and more patient," Joseph said. "She's just simply and truly an outstanding player, and she'll hold many records before she's done.
"Honestly, she's been one of the most consistent players at a high level that we've ever had."
Joseph also the team definitely will feel Furrow's absence when she's gone.
"You always miss the great hitters," she said.
And though her statistics are at the top of numerous categories, Furrow said that's the last thing on her mind.
"As far as stats, I'm really trying not to think about that," she said. "As a team, I want us to play to the best of our ability and win. I just really want to have fun and play out the rest of the season well."
If her recent success is any indication, she will end the season well.
And if her hairstyle is any indication, she shouldn't change a thing.
"She's wearing dreadlocks," Joseph said. "And clearly, that's where all her power is."
