Alumni Spotlight: Whitney Mesi '20 & '22
- kierraschneider
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
From Anaheim to Norman: A Blue Hawk’s Journey to the Top of College Softball
When Whitney Mesi first visited Dickinson State in November 2014, the North Dakota weather was a dramatic contrast from her hometown of Anaheim, California.
“It was -2 degrees,” Whitney recalled of her official visit to campus. “So I definitely needed a pretty good reason to say yes considering the amount of warm winter clothes I was about to have to buy.” That reason quickly became clear. “From the second I stepped on campus, it just felt genuine,” she said. “The relationships, the way people cared about each other, the family atmosphere, that’s what made saying yes really easy for me.” More than a decade later, Whitney still views that decision as one of the most important of her life. What started as an opportunity to continue playing softball turned into nine years in Dickinson as a student-athlete, graduate assistant, and assistant coach. Along the way, she built lifelong relationships, discovered a career path she never expected, and developed the work ethic that now helps her thrive at one of the top softball programs in the country.
Today, Whitney serves as the head turf manager for the University of Oklahoma softball program, where she helps maintain and prepare Love’s Field, home of the nationally recognized Sooners softball team. While her role takes place mostly behind the scenes, her work directly contributes to the game day atmosphere and championship standard Oklahoma softball is known for nationwide.
Whitney’s path from Southern California to North Dakota and eventually to Oklahoma is not one she could have predicted when she first arrived in Dickinson as an 18-year-old student-athlete. But throughout every stage of her journey, she says relationships and community have remained at the center of her experience. “Anyone who showed me so much love and kindness, opened their home doors to me, fed me, let me become part of their families, those are the people who made Dickinson feel like home when I was so far away from my own,” she said. Coming from Anaheim to a small North Dakota town required a major adjustment, but Whitney embraced the experience fully. Over time, Dickinson became much more than the place where she attended college. It became the place where she grew as a leader, teammate, mentor, and professional.
One of the people who had the greatest impact on Whitney’s journey was longtime DSU head softball coach Kristen Fleury. “She took a chance on me first as a player, and later again as a GA,” Whitney said. “That decision honestly created so many avenues for me to use softball to get ahead in life and build the career I have now.” Whitney credits Coach Fleury not only for helping shape her professional opportunities, but also for serving as a mentor through difficult moments in life. “More than anything though, she’s been someone who has mentored me and loved me through some really hard seasons of life,” Whitney said. “Getting to share some of the monumental moments in my career with her has been full circle.” Those moments now include helping host NCAA postseason softball at Oklahoma and working inside one of the most respected programs in collegiate athletics. But Whitney says the foundation for her success was built during her years at DSU. “At a blue-collar school like DSU, you wear a lot of different hats,” she said. “You learn quickly everyone has to be willing to do whatever it takes for the bigger picture.”
That mindset continues to guide her today. Whitney says some of the most valuable lessons she learned in Dickinson came from balancing responsibilities, handling pressure, and learning how to lead through service rather than recognition. “DSU taught me how to lead, how to serve, how to work hard without needing any recognition, and how to adapt when things aren’t perfect,” Whitney said. “I can honestly say I handle hard better than most because DSU prepared me for that.” Although Whitney always knew she wanted to stay involved in athletics, she did not initially know what role she wanted to pursue. During graduate school, she applied for internships and jobs across the sports industry while searching for something that aligned with both her personality and work ethic.
That opportunity came unexpectedly during the Blue Hawks’ 2021 postseason run. After winning the North Star Conference Tournament and traveling to Oklahoma City for the opening round of the national tournament, Whitney attended an Oklahoma City Dodgers baseball game and began introducing herself to anyone who might help connect her to an internship opportunity. “I walked the concourse and talked to anyone with a credential or a walkie, looking for someone to direct me to an internship for the summer,” she said. Soon after, Whitney accepted an internship with the Oklahoma City Dodgers organization in groundskeeping and operations. Despite having little experience in the field at the time, she approached the opportunity with confidence, gratitude, and a willingness to work hard. “I was hoping to find a passion in something that allowed me to be on the team behind the team,” she said. “Since my internship with the OKC Dodgers, I’ve never been more certain that this is the career I want to pursue with my whole heart.”
Today, Whitney takes tremendous pride in helping create the experience fans and student-athletes see at Love’s Field each game day. “I’m really lucky to protect the integrity of the Oklahoma Softball standard and use Love’s Field as a canvas to create a really unique game day experience and atmosphere,” she said. The work requires long hours, consistency, and attention to detail, but Whitney says she genuinely loves what she does. She describes her days as demanding but rewarding and values the opportunity to contribute to a program built on excellence. Looking back on her journey from Anaheim to Dickinson and eventually to Norman, Whitney says she has learned the importance of trusting herself, embracing opportunities, and staying grounded in who she is.
“I definitely do not know it all,” she said. “But I do know I am a good person. I treat people well. And I work hard.”