Sports Spotlight on Dwight Mack | Video

Scott Westerberg | 6/27/2012

The ability to adapt is key in sports, and nowhere is that more evident than the subject of this week`s Sports Spotlight. If being a utility player means you can line-up at three or four different spots, they might have to find a new word to describe Dwight Mack.

"Everything in the outfield. A little shortstop, third base, second base. I caught some at the beginning of the spring season, and I`ve pitched recently, too."

But Mack`s journey around the diamond hasn`t been by choice. A thumb injury first sustained in hockey forced him to abandon the place he felt most comfortable.

"Catcher`s kind of been my home position. I felt very comfortable there. I could control a lot of aspects of the game from that point and trying to be a leader of the team, that`s where I felt like I belonged."

After re-injuring his thumb this spring, Mack bounced around as needed during the high school season, but now in Legion ball, he`s settled in at third base.

"You take a guy that`s caught for me for the last two years and then you move him to third base. He`s had to learn third base, and he`s done a good job. He puts in a lot of time and works really hard to learn how to play third base, but a guy like that, you have to keep his bat in the line-up," said Mandan Chiefs Head Coach Ryne Jungling.

Baseball wasn`t the only sport where he had to make a major adjustment. When starting quarterback Devin Coyle missed some time late in the season, it was Mack who stepped in under center.

"To fill those shoes was tough. There was a lot of pressure, but I had a lot of people helping me out. We had an outstanding line protecting me, running backs were great, our receivers, like Aaron, they caught the ball when I threw it. Everybody just kind of helped me out," Mack said.

The adjustments will continue this fall for Mack when he`ll have to focus on just one sport instead of three.

"It`s always been my dream to go on after high school sports to play another sport, whether it be hockey or baseball or football, and it just so happened baseball was the right one."

With all the adapting he has done so far, the transition from Mandan to NDSU shouldn`t be quite as intimidating.

Through 18-games this summer, Mack is leading the Chiefs in almost every offensive category. Mandan is in Fargo for a double header tonight.

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