Campus softball standout Madilyn Harris has embraced a leadership role this season while continuing to develop her versatility and defensive range in the outfield.
Heading into the year, Harris said her main focus was helping guide a younger group of players while also sharpening her own game in key areas.
“For this season I wanted to focus on being a leader,” Harris said. “I knew we’d have a lot of younger girls coming up from JV to be a part of the outfield with me.”
That responsibility pushed her to not only communicate more on the field but also improve the technical parts of her defensive play. Harris said she specifically targeted advanced outfield skills such as diving plays and tracking balls at the wall.
“I wanted to improve my skills, like diving and robbing more home runs, by learning the footwork and other aspects that go into doing that,” she said. “Since the start of the season I have in fact done both of those!”
One of Harris’ biggest assets has been her ability to cover ground and adapt to different positions when needed. She has spent time across the outfield and has also contributed in the infield when called upon.
“My strengths would be my range in the outfield, and being able to play anywhere on the field,” Harris said. “I’ve continuously been used around the outfield, and even playing second base.”
Her aggressive approach in the outfield has made her a consistent presence on defense, even if she admits it sometimes leads to competitive overlap with teammates.
“There’s been multiple times where I’ve been a ball hog and stealing catches from my other outfielders,” she said.
During the offseason, Harris worked to refine the more technical aspects of her defensive game, focusing on reads, timing and tracking ability, especially on deep fly balls.
“I wanted to work on the extra skills it takes to be an outfielder,” she said. “I was never the best at diving, and being able to track balls over the fences. So I’ve been primarily working on those skills to better myself in the outfield.”
She credited continued work with experienced mentors for helping her take the next step in her development.
“In my off seasons I continue to work with softball mentors that coach college players around the world,” Harris said.
As the season heads into postseason play, Harris said team success remains the top priority. Campus enters regionals riding momentum and a winning streak, with goals of advancing to state.
“A successful season for my team and I would be for all of us to meet our personal goals and continuing to get better, with doing that comes wins!” she said. “We are about to go into regionals with a winning streak right now, and want to continue that by all working together and being the team we know we are. This will help us get to state, and battle through it!”
Harris has also made a strong impact at the plate, posting a .327 batting average with an OPS of .937, adding offensive production to her defensive versatility as Campus continues its postseason push.
