From the moment she arrived on Penn State’s campus, Madison Seidel was determined to achieve greatness both academically and at Beard Field. 

Seidel made her way to Penn State in the fall of 2022 after she was recruited to be a catcher for Penn State softball. She immediately fell in love with everything the school had to offer and knew this was the place for her. 

As a biology major and Schreyer Honors College student, Seidel wanted to play at an institution where she could achieve her dreams of becoming a doctor after graduation. However, what captured her attention most was how head coach Clarisa Crowell and her staff elevated Penn State’s softball program to the next level. 

“Watching what Coach C and her coaching staff have done with this program since she came here, watching it elevate, and going on to compete in regionals and postseason,” Seidel said. “That was something I wanted to be a part of.” 

Seidel made her Penn State debut during her freshman season as a reserve catcher during the March 18, 2023, win against Canisius. The following year, Seidel made five more appearances on the field, but remained motivated in both her work ethic and academics. She earned the awards for academic All-Big Ten accolades in the postseason, as well as being named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar after the academic year.

As her junior season approached, Seidel quickly rose to the starting spot after making some inspiring and intense changes to her game. She reiterated the importance of staying motivated and being disciplined when at the plate. 

“Discipline at the plate, really taking charge when on the field, leading in all areas, including communication, and also being there for the pitchers, whether that’s stealing strikes, or talking through mentality, attacking a batter, managing runners, those for sure were all my main focus,” she said.

Seidel earned the starting catcher position and has seen a lot of success during this season. In the April 9 game against Saint Francis, Seidel hit two home runs to help get the Nittany Lions a 15–3 win over the Red Flash. Four days later, she went 3-for-3 with a double and a home run against then No. 22 Ohio State. 

Seidel emphasized the importance of preparation and trusting yourself to deliver when it’s game time.  

“Take it one day at a time, one inning at a time, and ultimately trust what we do in practice, so that when it comes to game time, we can be free and just play the game,” she said.

The catcher also discussed the most challenging parts of being the starting catcher, which are remaining in control and making sure you execute your role to improve the outcome of a play. 

“You have to know what you need to do for every pitch and play, but you also need to know where everyone else needs to be if a goal is put in place,” Seidel said. “So once again, preparation is huge…constantly making sure you’re talking to one another, so that when a ball is put in play, everybody gets the chance to do their best at their job.” 

Another aspect Seidel talked about is the importance of remembering that softball is a team sport, and all the pressure of a game’s outcome shouldn’t boil down to one singular player.

“The way that they’ve supported me,” Seidel said about her teammates. “The way that we’ve been able to support each other and just get excited, no matter who it is out there doing their job, doing their thing, it’s a big deal… We’re a family.”

In regard to giving advice to any student-athletes fighting for a starting position, Seidel wants to remind everyone that everything happens for a reason, and their time will come when the opportunity is right. 

“Chase your dreams, work hard no matter what, and take the opportunity to learn from those before you because it can improve your mental game and your physical game more than you know it,” Seidel said.