Iyhia McMichael is an African-American, former collegiate All-American, professional 3-time All-Star, left-handed hitting softball player, originally from Nacogdoches, Texas. She was a outfielder for the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Southeastern Conference from 2001 to 2004, ranking in several school and conference records. She would go on to be named a 4-time all-conference honoree and back-to-back SEC Player of the Year in 2003–04. She also ranks top-15 all time in the NCAA Division I for her career triples. She was later drafted No. 1 overall in the National Pro Fastpitch and played for the defunct Akron Racers from 2004 to 2007, including being named the league's first Player of The Year and winning a title in 2005; McMichael ranks top-10 for career batting average for the league.