University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Savana Sikes
February 27, 2020 | Softball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
How did Savana Sikes introduce herself to collegiate softball? In her first career at-bat as a Georgia Bulldog, on Feb. 8, 2019, against St. John's, she belted a home run. Careers don't start much better or more memorably.
An infielder from Douglasville, Ga., Sikes started every game as a freshman last season and her 49 RBIs were second on the team. Through 18 games this season, she's already driven in eight runs and scored 13 times. The Bulldogs are in action all weekend at Jack Turner Softball Stadium, starting with a pair of games on Friday.
During a recent Quick Chat, Sikes talked about that first homer, her favorite way to spend a rainy day, pizza and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: As we sit in the dugout, it's cold and rainy. What is the perfect way to spend a day like this?
Sikes: Definitely in my bed, watching Netflix. I finished "The Shooter," it was pretty good. I also like to watch "The Bachelor" — yep.
Frierson: I've never watched it but I can tell from social media that it's quite a phenomenon, whether it's because people love it or love to make fun of it, I don't know. Are you as obsessed as some of the people I see?
Sikes: I used to like it a lot more, actually, but this season hasn't been that good. There's a lot of drama and girls going crazy [laughs], so I haven't been watching it quite as much lately, especially with the season going on and playing so many games. I feel like it's more of a comedy now [laughs].
Frierson: How necessary is it to have something like that, something to turn your brain off and just watch for a while?
Sikes: I think it's really good to be able to just sit back and be able to not think of softball. Softball consumes a lot of our time so to be able to turn that switch off and simply relax is really important, especially during this time when we're playing so many games.
Frierson: You're in the midst of playing 13 games in 12 days, so how do you keep things fresh when it's day after day and game after game?
Sikes: First, there's the love of the game itself. I mean, it would be hard to come out here and do this every day if you didn't love it. Coming out here and putting all your time and energy into the game, I try to just leave it here when I leave and not bring it home with me. That's when you start overthinking — so much of your time is spent here anyway so why take it home.
Frierson: How much better have you gotten at doing that compared to when you were younger?
Sikes: It was easy when I was younger because we'd play seven games in a day. It was one game after another and you had to move on to the next game.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Sikes: Probably pizza, I love pizza — meat lovers is definitely the best for me. I like Your Pie here, where you can build your own little pizza and put whatever you want on it.
Frierson: How are you a better player right now than you were when you first got to Georgia?
Sikes: I would say I feel like I'm better prepared. Coming in you don't really know what to expect and now I have a year under my belt. Georgia's offered me so much stuff that I've learned from just in the matter of one year and I can take all that and use it this year.
Frierson: Do you remember your first home run ever? Or your first home run for Georgia?
Sikes: Oh, gosh, I don't remember my first home run ever. My first home run here, I was very nervous. My first home run here was my first at-bat.
I was very nervous and I honestly didn't even realize it had happened because it was a line-drive right off the bat, and it was so refreshing. All that work I had been doing, it was paying off. It is definitely a memory that I'll have for the rest of my life.
Frierson: Are you suddenly thinking, wow, this college game's pretty easy?
Sikes: [Laughs.] I wouldn't say that, it definitely got harder as we played more games. It was fun, though.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
