By james art 
Haley McLean returned home and loves him. The tall graduate of the Spanish Springs, who was the Gatorade Nevada software of the year and a multiple regional champion began his college career in Utah, Mountain Wold’s Mountain West. But after two seasons with Aggies, she transferred this extra-season to Nevada and has the best year in her career, passing 6-1 with 1.52 ERA for 11-4 Wolf Pack. For the huge start of his season, MClean is a Nevada Sports Net’s Athlete of the Month Wolf Pack athlete for February. You can watch our interview with Mclean below or read Q&A below that. This feature is presented in partnership with Champion Chevrolet.
Questions and answers with Haley McLean
Nevada sports network: The last time you were in our studio was the summer of 2022, when you were our athlete of the year in high school. Since then, they have happened a lot over the last two and a half years. Let’s talk about the last two and a half years. You moved from high school to Spanish Springs in Utah for two years and then moved back to Nevada. What have been the last two and a half years for you?
Haley McLean: It was a great opportunity for training. I have to live in a whole new area, a whole new atmosphere, everything is ahead. It was very different from Renault, so you grow here than going there was much different. I have great experiences, but I’m more than delighted to get home.
Nevada sports network: I know when you graduated from high school, you wanted to experience something else and get out of home. Many children want to do this. Now that you are back to Renault, what is your point of view of Northern Nevada and what makes it special?
Haley McLean: There is a crazy tow here. I know many of my high school friends have happened the same. There is only a draw to return to Renault, which you do not have to grow in Renault. And so I go and I don’t have all the amenities I have here, friends, family, support, it was quite difficult. Realizing that I have the opportunity to come back, I was jumping on this really fast.
Nevada sports network: So you live at home? Am I curious whether your parents turned your room into a gym or something, or if it is completely the same when you returned two and a half years later?
Haley McLean: It was completely the same as untouched. It was crazy because I had the feeling that I was entering a whole new world when I got home and then I felt, “Oh, wow, I’m in high school again.”
Nevada sports network: But now you are a big star in college. Let’s talk about how you performed this season. So far you are 6-1 with 1.52 ERA in 46 feeds with 60 penalties and only 20 walks. I know the walks were something like a problem in Utah. What is the largest area for improving the command and these dominant numbers?
Haley McLean: I would say that our picing coach Carly Cutler this year has really worked on us, attacking the area because I am proud of being a movement, AIDS pitcher. So I can throw the pitch through the area and miss the barrel – not like missing the ball necessarily, but not super competitive hits – is almost what we really went for this season.
Nevada sports network: A great start to Nevada on 11-4 this season. I don’t know if there was # 1 victory, but the victory, when you reduced by 5-0 against Houston and at the bottom of the seventh, they have several runners on the second and third with one out and you can win the game and you get out of this situation and ultimately win, what to make it to you to come back and come back to one of the team. They took a one-off presenter, then lost, then descend, then lower with 5-0, feel when you return, then lost, then go down, and then go down by 5-0, feel that you come back?
Haley McLean: Well, I’ll bet on this team 10 of 10 times. They are so competitive. There is only driving for them, especially when it has knocked us down a little. It’s like, I know we’ll be back. I have so much faith in this team. And these are the most exciting games when you have a good team and come back and you are like “wow”, especially because they are in Power 4. And we did it. And we have proven that we can. These are just the most energy games we play for sure.
Nevada sports network: What role do you think you took from the leadership point of view, that you are an upper class, but in your first year in Nevada. You are obviously the leader of these great Spanish Springs teams. Do you feel that you could get out of the bat right away and be a leader? Do you have to earn this? Do you still win this because this is your first year with Wolf Pack?
Haley McLean: I will say that there is always room for growth and people to learn who I am as a player. But this team is super accepts for me. If I liked it here, I had almost everyone in the team to turn to me and tell me, “Hey, let’s go to the field. Let’s get coffee. Let’s do something like. “They are great girls and I value their friendship so much.
Nevada sports network: I know Nevada hired you a little from high school. You went to Utah State. You saw the Wolf Pack program when you play for Aggies look to start rising. What is it just to see that this program is one of the best in the mountain West and can potentially cause some harm to the national stage and seem to really have the support of the community because the product on the pitch was so good?
Haley McLean: Entering here, I knew they had 41 wins last season. This is a crazy achievement. And I knew I would come, that I would have to find myself and continue it. I think it’s so cool to grow and look, since I was this girl who was looking at these girls on the field. I’m like “Aunt, it’s Di College softball.” I want to be that. That was my sole purpose to grow up. And now, when I’m here, I’m like “Aunt, I did it.” It’s so cool. These girls do it. We make a name for Renault. Renault is not a super school with big names in the big schemes across the country. But I really feel that we are upcoming for ourselves and we also get a good name.
Nevada sports network: When this became a goal to play for a college level team, maybe even the Wolf package. When did you think this is something that is actually an achievable thing?
Haley McLean: I think it definitely started right from the gate of the travel ball. There were coaches who told me, “If you don’t want to go to play college, it’s probably not like the type of team you should be on.” And I knew that I wanted to do from a very young age.
Nevada sports network: You start the season with six tournaments away from home, so long before we reach Hixson Park. But what do you think you will feel to be able to take this field and play in front of your family and friends here in Renault?
Haley McLean: I think it will just be a great awe and the jaw drop. Finally, I play in my field in my hometown and with those girls who are incredible behind me. I think it will just be a super surreal feeling.
Nevada sports network: You have a new coach Victoria Hayward, a former assistant and Washington. She was also all -American there. She has an Olympic medal. What did you love in the game for her? What motivation does the group give?
Haley McLean: Frankly, she’s super motivational. In practice, she wants us to improve every day. I think I’ve learned more about softball over the last year than my whole career has grown. She brought so many bits and pieces of information from where she was where she played and introduced all this into this team and is super cool and super information to learn from her.
Nevada sports network: You guys are a business. You gave a tournament in Sacramento this weekend, then fresco and then the Stanford area. What is it just to enter these tournaments and see the success the team has so far this season?
Haley McLean: I think this applies to college softball is the trip, especially because I was in Utah and we had to leave for the snow. And now it is a similar situation here, as we had to leave it to avoid time. I think it’s great. Traveling and receiving the hotel rooms and the airport team, I have so much fun and I am really excited.
Nevada sports network: What is your favorite thing about returning to Renault regarding restaurants or shops. Are there any places you really miss you to eat outside or shop when you were in Logan?
Haley McLean: I’m a big QDOBA fan.
Nevada sports network: They don’t have QDOBA in Logan?
Haley McLean: No, they have chipotle, but they don’t have QDOBA.
Nevada sports network: This is a big difference. Bee on the hive, this place you would go to?
Haley McLean: Yes, that was really good.
Nevada sports network: I would always go there when I covered games in Logan. Do you play in Utah this year?
Haley McLean: No, they are here.
Nevada sports network: Well, maybe your senior year you can go to the hive grill. But I also know you are a great hunter. Was there a good hunt you have been to since you returned to North Nevada to return to these roots?
Haley McLean: I think it’s more that I can just go out. I do not need to receive a hunting license in Utah. I don’t have to receive deliveries to get out. Here, it’s just everything for me and I can go out when I have out of time.
For previous Wolf Pack Athletes of the Month, Q&S, click here