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Ferris State bound

Escanaba’s Cloutier signs with Bulldogs

Austin Hemmingson | Daily Press Escanaba senior Dakota Cloutier (center) looks up after signing her letter-of-intent to play softball at Ferris State University Tuesday in the high school library. Pictured behind are her parents, Mark and Lisa and her brother Chase.

ESCANABA — Dakota Cloutier knew she liked Ferris State University when she was in the 7th grade. Now, five years later, she’s officially a Bulldog.

The standout senior catcher signed her letter-of-intent on National Signing Day in the Escanaba High School library Tuesday, with her parents Mark and Lisa and her brother Chase around her.

“(I have) a lot of emotions and I’m just happy I get to go play college softball,” she said.

Cloutier first attended a camp at Ferris State when she was in 7th grade. She had some familiarity with the school because her father and aunt both went there.

“It’s always been in the back of my mind because my dad went there and my aunt went there, so it was a place I knew I could play,” she said. “I knew I could always go there, so I just went to a bunch of camps and decided to go there.”

A big part of her reasoning was physical therapy school. According to her father, she had a couple other schools on her radar, but Ferris State’s physical therapy program made it an easy choice. Cloutier cited she’s known she’s wanted to go into physical therapy since she was a freshman.

“She went to Central (Michigan University’s) camp and she was thinking of going to Saginaw Valley, but Ferris has the program she wanted for physical therapy,” Mark Cloutier said. “She knew right away once she went to the campus that’s where she wanted to go.”

Cloutier has been a catcher since she started playing at eight years old. She feels the biggest thing that’s contributed to her success is hard work.

“(My biggest key) has been hard work and dedication to it, even through the rough times that everyone goes through,” Cloutier said. “I’ve fought through them.”

Her father, who’s also an Escanaba assistant coach, echoed those comments.

“(Her biggest key) has been work ethic and her desire to do it,” he said. “She’s a perfectionist. She’s not the most skilled player, but she’s the hardest-working player on the field all the time and she does the small things right. She’s very coachable and super smart.”

Cloutier has been an instrumental part of Escanaba teams that have won back-to-back state titles. Catching for pitcher Gabi Salo — who signed to play at the University of Wisconsin Tuesday — Cloutier was ranked as one of the top 100 players in the state last season along with Salo and teammate Lexi Chaillier. She was also selected to the All-Great Northern Conference team.

Cloutier was often tagged with the assignment of catching Salo’s high heat or changeups in the dirt that had the potential to get away if she didn’t block them correctly. She feels that experience will make the transition to college ball easier.

“It’s just going to be easier for me to adapt to it because all the pitchers I’m going to see there are going to be like Gabi,” she said. “It’ll be easier for me to adapt to the situation.”

She also recognized signing on the same day was a cool moment.

“It was really nice because it’s kind of like a full circle with our hard work that we’ve been working for our entire life paying off,” she said.

Mark Cloutier wanted to give thanks to a bunch of people who have contributed to her success.

“What the Salos have done for her — bringing her down to Alabama for a camp and being all over the United States — it’s been a really good trip,” he said. “Coach Jamie Segorski has been her travel coach along with myself… I’ve helped him out all the way through. Dan Block has been a huge spirtual and positive role model — he’s a super guy. My wife, Lisa, and just Escanaba in general has been very supportive.”

Cloutier was also thankful for all her supporters.

“I just want to thank everyone and anyone that has helped me from a little bit to a lot along the way,” she said.

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