From Othello to Pocatello, McDonald finds her place with Bengals softball team

OTHELLO — Before Camryn McDonald became an everyday shortstop and leadoff hitter for Idaho State, she was an Othello kid playing in front of a crowd that had known her since childhood. Three seasons into her college softball career, McDonald said that support system still shapes how she views her success with the Bengals. 

"It has been nothing but awesome," McDonald said. "It's fun, I play with all my best friends, and it's just been a roller coaster of emotions. We have two championships now and a tournament win, it's been exciting." 

McDonald’s rise from Othello youth softball to Idaho State’s leadoff spot has been shaped by two constants: a small-town support system that followed her from the Huskies to Pocatello, and a willingness to keep asking questions until she found her place at the college level. 

After showing flashes as a freshman in 2024, Camryn McDonald developed into one of the program's most productive hitters over the next two seasons. McDonald appeared in 105 games across three years, batting .357 with 94 hits, 66 runs scored, 39 RBIs, seven home runs and a .490 slugging percentage. McDonald's progression was evident each season, improving from a .267 average in 2024 to .299 in 2025 before breaking out in 2026 with a .419 average, 57 hits, 44 runs, five home runs and a .566 slugging percentage in 54 games. 

Her softball journey began when she was eight years old when she joined her first competitive team, she said. From there, she continued to play softball competitively all the way up to 18U with the Washington Angels. Bob Benson, who was her coach at the time, actively helped McDonald and her teammates pursue playing softball at the collegiate level.  

"They did such a good job setting a precedent like, 'You guys can go and do it, and email a school you need to get a hold of,'" McDonald said. "Bob Benson did a great job of reaching out to schools for us when we wanted him to. Come September 1, my junior year, Idaho State contacted me that that first day, and it all fell in place from there." 

In addition to playing competitive softball around the state, McDonald was also a Huskie. In her time there, she garnered several Central Washington Athletic Conference accolades including the Most Valuable Player award. While those accomplishments are cherished by her, what she still carries with her today is the memories of playing in front of her community.  

"Getting to play in front of the Othello crowd throughout high school is definitely an experience in itself," she said. "A lot of people go to big schools and they play with big recruits and stuff, but I would not have traded my position for the world, our community, and just how everybody knows everybody, and you're not going to get away from it. The whole crowd is cheering you on and has known you personally since you were a kid, and it's just amazing." 

McDonald's first introduction to Idaho State Head Coach Andrew Rich came during a Washington Angels game. He was in attendance for their tournament to watch a pitcher that was already on their way to becoming a Bengal. It wasn't the big sunglasses he recalled taking notice of, he said.  

"She played hard and did things right," Rich said. "When you just watched her play, it was different. She's a left-handed hitting shortstop (which) is always a nice thing to have. She was just a sponge of picking up everything that we were trying to teach her as we went along." 

It wasn't long after her recruitment began that McDonald took a visit to Pocatello, Idaho. The visit felt like visiting a second home to her, describing the environment as having a hometown feel, she said. 

"I couldn't get home by the time I committed," McDonald said. "We pulled over and I called Coach Rich back and committed. It's small enough where I feel comfortable, and there is a huge community, and they're always rooting us on." 

When she officially joined the program, McDonald quickly grew comfortable with the program. Her work ethic translated very well, Rich said. 

"It's everything that we saw from the beginning, except that I thought that she was a quiet kid, and then when she got to us, she ended up not being a quiet kid," said the coach. 

According to McDonald, she would ask Rich and fellow coaches 100 questions a day, and they would always answer them all. She approached this new chapter like a sponge, looking to learn everything she could.  

For Rich, players who are so invested like McDonald is makes his job easier, he said.  

"It's crazy how much easier that makes it for us." Rich said. "You're not worried if they're learning things or if they're understanding everything because she's always trying to figure things out. She's always trying to find the answers to the puzzle all the time." 

This upcoming year will be her senior season, a chapter in her athletic journey that arrived a lot sooner than she anticipated. Since her arrival at Idaho State, McDonald and the Bengals have seen consistent improvement each season. After their first season where they went 25-27, the Bengals have strung together back-to-back 37-win seasons.  

After the 2026 season, Rich parted ways with the Bengals program and is now the head coach at Boise State. In her final year, McDonald is eager to help the Bengals continue their success in Pocatello, build on her role as a team leader and to remain present in the final months of her athletic career.  

"My goal for my senior year is to just be where my feet are and enjoy every moment," she said. "My last home games, my last season, my last fall season, just kind of take it all in and really just realize how blessed I am and how grateful I am to be in that position. We also want to come out as three-time Big Sky champions and a two-time tournament champion, so that's obviously the end goal, and get back where we were this last year."

    Othello native Camryn McDonald (in gray) drills the ball while at bat for the Idaho State Bengals softball team.
  

    The Idaho State Bengals softball team takes a group photo after winning their second straight Big Sky Conference championship. Othello native Camryn McDonald played a key role in the Bengals success.
  

    Camryn McDonald (left) flashes a smile during Othello High School fastpitch softball practice in 2022.
  

    Former Othello Huskie Camryn McDonald waits for a pitch in the infield. McDonald still cherishes memories of playing in front of the Othello community during her time with the Huskies.