2020 Softball Recruiting Thread

[slot canyon 1,333]

Since I found this recent article about one of our 2020 committed (not signed) players I thought I would create this topic and add information about players as we go forward.

https://www.flosoftball.com/articles/6528467-rising-star-why-auburn-commit-madison-penta-sings-for-strikeouts

 

[ellitor 33,091]

Thanks Slot! Thread pinned!

[ellitor 33,091]

 

Quote

 

Madison Penta Sings For Strikeouts

View Full 2019 TC/USA Nationals Coverage

Jul 11, 2019 Stephen Kerr

 

Pitchers have different ways of staying focused in the circle. Some talk to themselves; others go to a happy place or meditate. Madison Penta likes to sing.

The 6-foot-one right-handed power pitcher for Bohemia Manor (Maryland) High and PA Chaos Gold hums to herself between pitches. Her musical tastes run the gamut, from Drake to the Alan Jackson-Jimmy Buffett duet “It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere”.

“I don’t know how that works, but it does,” explained Penta, a former member of her school’s all-state chorus. “Things don’t get too stressful (when I sing).”

It’s just one of the ways Penta keeps the game fun. At last week’s Triple Crown Fourth of July tournament in Boulder, Colorado, Penta engaged her youngest sister in a water gun fight to stay loose between games. That quirkiness is what makes her unique, says Chaos Gold coach Joe Spina.

“For me, it’s refreshing,” he said. “Maddie’s like a big kid out there. She has fun with her teammates, she’s goofy, she laughs, she sings. But when she’s pitching, she’s a beast out there.”

All In The Family

Penta played many sports growing up, including basketball, soccer, gymnastics, and cross-country. Her mom, Susan, was a pitcher at St. Joseph’s University before transferring to the University of Delaware.

“She introduced me to softball when I was pretty young,” Maddie said of her mom. “I took to pitching. Playing those other sports, the girls were a lot better than me. (But) playing softball, I was one of those better girls, especially when it came to pitching.”

Susan is more than a softball mom; she also serves as Maddie’s pitching instructor. Striking that balance between parent and coach may be difficult for some, but Susan eventually learned to separate the two roles once games and practices were over.

“It took me a little bit of time that when we step off the field, she’s my daughter again, not the person who just threw and I was mad at or just won the game,” Susan explained.

Sidelined

Maddie’s biggest challenge to date came last summer when she suffered a hairline fracture of her forearm. While pitching for Chaos Gold during a tournament in Atlanta, she felt a persistent ache in her forearm. Maddie realized it wasn’t the usual soreness from pitching frequently, but she wasn’t particularly alarmed at first. It was during the final tournament of the season in St. Louis that she knew something was seriously wrong and needed attention.

“The last game of the season, I went out there in the first inning,” Maddie recalled. “It was very rough, and I didn’t go back out the rest of the game.”

Maddie’s parents took her to Dr. Craig Morgan, who repaired the shoulder of former major league pitcher Curt Schilling during his time with the Boston Red Sox. Maddie’s father, Mark, had previously worked as a physician’s assistant for Morgan, so the decision of who could provide the best treatment for Maddie’s injury was a no-brainer.

According to Dr. Morgan, a muscle in Maddie’s forearm had become too strong, causing a loss of flexibility in her shoulder. He prescribed six weeks of rest and a band stretching program used by several professional pitchers and quarterbacks, including Tom Brady. She was also fitted with a brace that she wore during the six-week period.

Perspective

Maddie began a throwing regimen after the brace was removed, and was able to resume pitching in time for tryouts in late August. The experience taught her the importance of taking care of her body.

“If I take care of it, it’ll take care of me,” Maddie said.

The injury certainly hasn’t slowed Maddie down. Last month, she was named Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year. In her junior season with Bohemia Manor, she went a perfect 21-0 with a 0.11 ERA and 299 strikeouts, leading the school to its third consecutive state title. She allowed just 16 hits in 123 innings while posting her own .586 batting average with a whopping 1.143 slugging percentage, nine homers, and 34 RBI. In the state championship against Sparrows Point, she threw a no-hitter and struck out 19 in an 8-0 rout.

In 70 innings with Chaos Gold this summer, Maddie is 14-0 with 151 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting just .104 against her, and she has allowed five runs, four of them earned.

Maddie has been consistently clocked at 66-70 mph. She possesses an excellent command of a full arsenal of pitches, including a fastball, screwball, curve, rise and a changeup. Batters are often left guessing with two strikes.

“She can get you with any pitch,” Spina said. “She’s mastered them all. It all depends on the day and what the other team is doing. If we see a kid chasing rise balls, she’ll stay with that. If they’re having trouble hitting the inside pitch, she’ll go with a screwball.”

Finding The Fit

Maddie visited a total of 16 schools before committing to Auburn in the fall of her sophomore year. As a former player who navigated the recruiting process and transferred schools, Susan wanted her daughter to take her time. Like many parents, she is happy with the recent changes in recruiting rules that allow athletes to have that breathing room.

“Maddie was 13 years old,” Susan said of the period when recruiters began noticing her. “She didn’t even know what she was having the next day for lunch, much less knowing where she wanted to go to school.”

When she stepped on the Auburn campus for the first time, Maddie knew instantly it was the place for her. The Tigers had recently hired an all-new coaching staff headed by Mickey Dean, who guided James Madison University to a 237-56 record in five seasons. In 2018, the Tigers won their first 15 games, tying for the best start in program history.

Maddie first became acquainted with Dean when he was at JMU, and was overjoyed when he took the job at Auburn.

“I wanted to go to a bigger school (than James Madison),” Maddie explained. “When I went to Auburn, they had everything I wanted. (Mickey) is a great coach, and I’m so excited.”

Maddie has other things she would like to accomplish during her senior year, including a fourth consecutive state championship for Bohemia Manor. The thought of entering into a Division I program a year from now doesn’t intimidate her.

“I’ll be fine,” she said. “It’ll probably be a little scary when I get there, but I think that my mindset, both in the classroom and on the softball field, will help me make that transition easily once I get to that stage.”

Rest assured, such confidence will be music to the ears of Auburn coaches, players and fans waiting to welcome her.

 

 

[AUatHeart 624]

She sounds like a STUD!

[mustache eagle 2,398]

Another article, from people in the middle of it, sounding the need/benefits of slowing down the recruitment process and the positives of the portal giving kids more control.

[slot canyon 1,333]

Another Madison Penta article from May 30, 2019.

https://www.cecildaily.com/spotlight/bo-manor-s-madison-penta-named-gatorade-maryland-player-of/article_f80e1370-2db7-5098-a033-1efa47f2e92c.html

There is also some stuff on YouTube.  

[ellitor 33,091]

 

Quote

 

Bo Manor's Madison Penta named Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year

• By Jordan Schatz jschatz@cecilwhig.com
• May 30, 2019

Bohemia Manor junior Madison Penta has been named the Gatorade Maryland Softball Player of the Year. From the circle, Penta went 21-0 with a 0.11 ERA and 299 strikeouts over 123 innings. At the plate, she hit .586 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs. With Penta pitching, Bo Manor won its third straight state championship on Saturday.

CHESAPEAKE CITY — Bohemia Manor pitcher Madison Penta can add another award to her ever-growing collection of softball accolades.

Penta, a junior, who recently led the Eagles to their third consecutive 1A State Championship, has been named the Gatorade Maryland Softball Player of the Year, the company announced Thursday from its base in Chicago.

The Gatorade award recognizes athletic and academic achievement and exemplary character on and off the field.

 

“Now, she’s one of the 50 best players in the country,” Bo Manor head coach Ed Abshagen said. “Could she be No. 1 in the country? With those stats, yes.”

From the circle, Penta pitched to a 21-0 record and a 0.11 ERA with 299 strikeouts and just 16 hits over 123 innings.

She threw a trio of no-hitters in the 1A postseason, including Saturday’s 19-strikeout gem against Sparrows Point in the state championship game. The junior also ended the regular season with a perfect game against 2A East Region finalist North East.

At the plate, she batted .586 with nine home runs, 34 RBIs, 25 runs scored and a 1.143 slugging percentage.

“She’s a good enough player to continually force coaching decisions on the opposite side,” Jeff Horton, head coach of rival Patterson Mill, told Gatorade. “I’m convinced that Bo Manor wouldn’t have beaten us either time without her on the team.”

Penta, who verbally committed to Auburn University, is ranked as the nation’s No. 5 recruit in the Class of 2020 by Softball America. Her efforts helped Bo Manor become the first Cecil County softball program to win three consecutive state championships.

“I’m very honored to have three in a row, but once again, it’s the team. I wouldn’t be anywhere without my team,” Penta said Saturday. “They did most of this. They scored all the runs. I can’t do this all myself.”

Penta has volunteered locally collecting goods for those in need, and as a youth softball coach. She has maintained a weighted 4.12 GPA in the classroom, Gatorade reported.

She joins recent Gatorade Maryland Softball Players of the Year Campbell Kline (2017-18, Severna Park), Kaitlin Beasley-Polko (2016-17, Leonardtown), Madison Aughinbaugh (2015-16, St. Mary’s Ryken), Nicole Stockinger (2014-15, Sherwood) and Jordan Cargile (2013-14, Eastern Tech).

 

According to Gatorade, its Player of the Year program “annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field. The company also awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.

“From the 12 national winners, one male and one female athlete are each named Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year. In all, 607 athletes are honored each year.”

Penta, who has an opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization of her choosing, is in the running for the nation’s Softball Player of the Year, announced in June.

“She’s such an amazing athlete and person and a friend,” Bo Manor junior third baseman Carlee Ferguson said Saturday. “Without her, this team, we would be OK, but she’s really the glue that holds us together.”

 

 

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Very impressive.  Ms. Penta sounds like the kind of recruit that Dean needs to build his own reputation.  Assuming we keep both her and Ms. Lowe, those are bright lights at the end of the tunnel.

[ellitor 33,091]

17 minutes ago, OlderWhiskey said:

Very impressive.  Ms. Penta sounds like the kind of recruit that Dean needs to build his own reputation.  Assuming we keep both her and Ms. Lowe, those are bright lights at the end of the tunnel.

He still needs to recruit better hitters. That's the difference from the power conferences like the SEC & PAC 12 to other conferences. You can be highly successful in other conferences with a dominant arm or 2. In the SEC & PAC 12 teams need to more well rounded.

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

Penta looks like a dominant pitcher and hitter.  That adds one bat to the arsenal.

[saminbama 740]

Interesting article.  https://extrainningsoftball.com/extra-star-power-2020-extra-elite-100-player-spotlight-madison-penta/

Impressive strikeout numbers in club ball.  High school stats can be deceiving depending on the quality of competition.  She fits in with CMD's philosophy of his pitchers being multi-faceted.  Our recent transfer, Sam Yarbrough fits this as well.  If CMD gets these ladies who can play a position and pitch, he doesn't need a large roster.

 

From the article:

It was a bittersweet summer for Auburn-bound Madison (“Maddie”) Penta, the tall flame-throwing pitcher from Maryland ,who was almost untouchable for much of the club season, striking out 312 of the 580 batters she faced before a stress fracture in her arm curtailed the Keystone State hurler’s great run.

At the So Cal A’s Invitational in June, Maddie was very impressive and it looked like she was going to be one of the top pitchers heading into nationals, but unfortunately she wasn’t able to make it to nationals as hoped.

 

It was an interesting injury too in that her forearm muscle got too strong and it caused a fracture during a pitch thrown in a game. However, she went to the physician who fixed former Red Sox ace Curt Schilling’s shoulder and now Madison is back on the mend ready to have an even bigger and better 2019.

[auburnfan247 27]

[auburnfan247 27]

[auburnfan247 27]

I get it she was one of the former Myers commits but it just stings losing all these top ranked players. She was ranked #37 overall in the 2020 class by FloSoftball and hit over .400 BA during I believe her freshman and sophomore travel seasons against good competition.

I know we have some good talent coming in but losing good players always stinks.

[slot canyon 1,333]

The note I have indicated she was a verbal Nov 2018.  We have two other high rated pitchers in that class (Shelby Lowe and Maddie Penta) so I was thinking it may be easy for one of the three to explore other options.  Also believe I read she had a good friend commit to Gators and would not be surprised to see her there...…..closer to home, good friend, higher profile program.  

[AU64 10,122]

1 hour ago, slot canyon said:

closer to home, good friend, higher profile program.  

all that...and probably lower cost to attend school ...even with the AU scholly. 

but sounds like the pitching situation for AU is probably OK for now....if they others stick. 

[slot canyon 1,333]

Softball America had a ranking of the top 50 players for the 2020 class.  #5 was Madison Penta and #9 was Shelby Lowe.  Davidson, the pitcher who decommitted, was  #36.  

[auburnfan247 27]

2021 1B/3B Bri Ellis just committed to Auburn. She was a former Texas A&M commit.

From the info I could find on her, in her two years and 60 total games of H.S. softball she has a BA of .414, 25 HR’s, and 82 RBI’s. 

Also one 2018 FloSoftball article said that Ellis hit 7 home runs in 10 games at the 2018 Tulsa Elite Shootout.

[slot canyon 1,333]

From Flo Softball Oct 8 article regarding 2020 commits.

"Maddie Penta (Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year) and Shelby Lowe could be absolute game-changers for Auburn in the circle. Penta was dynamite over the summer winning TC/USA Nationals. Lefty hurler Lowe was equally impressive leading the Bolts to a 5th place finish at PGF Premier Nationals." 

[slot canyon 1,333]

Madison Penta

Interesting you tube video with most of the good stuff during 1st 3 minutes.

 

 

[wmsau 63]

Looks like another one of AU's top softball commits has removed being a commit from social media. Maybe the top player we had committed in the '22 class has removed her commit from her Twitter account and will be at the UT prospect camp this weekend in Knoxville. 

That is the second top commit, the other being a '21 commit in Aubrey Barnhart that has removed their commit from social media.

Ouch!!!

[gulftiger66 166]

5 hours ago, wmsau said:

Looks like another one of AU's top softball commits has removed being a commit from social media. Maybe the top player we had committed in the '22 class has removed her commit from her Twitter account and will be at the UT prospect camp this weekend in Knoxville. 

That is the second top commit, the other being a '21 commit in Aubrey Barnhart that has removed their commit from social media.

Ouch!!!

Who?   When?

[wmsau 63]

The '22 commit that has removed her commitment from AU is Taylor Pannell. Told Dean two weeks ago that she has concerns around the program. AU would still be in consideration, HOWEVER!

This is happening too much considering Dean is headed into his 3rd year at AU and more and more of our top commits are moving on. 

 

[Mikey 16,578]

3 hours ago, wmsau said:

The '22 commit that has removed her commitment from AU is Taylor Pannell. Told Dean two weeks ago that she has concerns around the program. AU would still be in consideration, HOWEVER!

This is happening too much considering Dean is headed into his 3rd year at AU and more and more of our top commits are moving on. 

 

Did these players originally commit to Coach Dean or Coach Meyers? It's very common for a prospect to de-commit after a coaching change. This happens in every sport, not just softball.

[slot canyon 1,333]

Pannell committed to Coach Dean in early 2018.