Silver Lake Regional High School pitcher Maddy Barone is heading into the final chapter of what has been a storied career playing for the Lakers.
The 17-year-old Barone is just now entering her senior campaign, but her stats would make you think otherwise. Through three seasons, Barone has put up astronomical numbers.
It all started during Barone’s freshman season, when she started to turn heads seemingly every time on the mound. Her 16-3 record and 0.48 ERA guided the Lakers to a 20-3 record and a trip to the Division 1 South Sectional semifinals.
As her sophomore season rolled around, she was even better—bolstering a career-best 0.15 ERA, while throwing a perfect game, five no-hitters, 16 shutouts, striking out 190 batters and winning 16 games. Barone’s bat was equally effective—posting a career-high .536 average, while hitting six home runs and driving in 31.
It was during her junior year, last season, when Barone’s success started to pay dividends in the playoffs. Barone recorded an 11 strikeout, shutout win performance against Milford in the Division 1 South Sectional quarterfinals two games before her 10 strikeout, complete game win led her team to a Division 1 South Sectional finals win. Though the Lakers fell short in the Division 1 state finals against St. Peter-Marian.
Silver Lake Regional High School head coach, Tony Pina, said he’s seen Barone, a team captain last season, grow a great deal since his arrival in 2014.
“Her ability to lead and become more vocal on the field has evolved over the years,” Pina said. “Her desire to add more pitches and become more confident with them has been impressive.”
As Barone enters her last go around in a Lakers’ uniform, she said there are numerous reasons that make her eager to get back on the field.
“I’m [extremely] excited to play with all my teammates for one last season,” Barone said. “I’m looking forward to having another great season.”
Over the offseason, Barone said she has been playing on an indoor team at the Bridgewater Sports Complex while attending pitching lessons every other week. Pina said Barone’s work ethic is second to none.
“It’s one of the best I’ve encountered in 22 years,” Pina explained.
Barone, the 2015 Patriot League MVP for Softball, said she does see an area of her game that she is striving to improve.
“I want to get better at reading batters, in terms of what pitches to throw them,” Barone said. “I’ve been working on perfecting some pitches and learning new ones.”
There is one goal, which the Lakers came away from achieving last season, Barone said she would like to accomplish before she graduates.
“I want to get back to the state finals and win,” Barone said.
While in the midst of leading her team to the playoffs last season, Barone was also in the process of making a monumental choice regarding her softball career. Her decision was to commit to attend Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) to play softball, starting in the fall of 2016. She then signed on with SNHU this past November. Pina said he has no doubt she will succeed at the collegiate ranks.
“Maddy is the complete package,” Pina said. “She has the heart for the game and the mind to think and play it the right way. She is a hard worker and is never satisfied. People at the next level need that drive and hunger to accomplish more, to be more. Maddy is a winner, as a player and as a person.”