Maddie Osias hits the ball during a game this season. / Austin McAffe
BY ALLISON SLUSHER
ajslushe@go.olemiss.edu
There’s no hiding the struggles the Ole Miss softball team has had this season, but with a core of young players up and down the Lady Rebels’ lineup, there is hope for optimism for the future of the program.
Four of the top five hitters in the lineup for Ole Miss are freshmen or sophomores, but it’s freshman first baseman Madi Osias who is making the biggest impact.
All season, head coach Windy Thees has asked the underclassmen to step up as leaders on the team. Osias answered the call by leading the team at the plate, holding a team-leading .413 batting average this season.
Osias says that leadership is a team effort as all the freshmen on the team challenge one another to be leaders.
“I think it’s really been a team effort, not necessarily me personally but with the freshmen as a whole,” Osias said. “The freshmen class, we’ve shown a lot of leadership on and off the field through how we work out situations between teammates, and we are just trying our best to put the program in the right direction.”
The Tustin, Calif., native earned numerous accomplishments in high school, earning second-team all-state as a senior, including Trinity League MVP. It was unsure how Osias would translate to the collegiate level, but so far, she’s proven she’s up to the challenge.
“The toughest part is definitely the mental aspect of it,” Osias said of what she sees as the biggest difference from high school ball. “It’s hard to wrap your mind around the competition, and even though it’s difficult, our coaches are helping us through it, and our teammates are helping us through it.
“I think that even though the competition is difficult, they are preparing us well, and we just have to execute well.”
Osias has played in just 36 of Ole Miss’ games this season, drawing 21 starts. She’s only totaled 67 at-bats this year, but she’s tallied 26 hits, including four doubles and six home runs. She also has 22 RBI and 16 runs scored on the year.
Although this season is coming to a close, there is no doubt that Osias will be one to watch as she helps build the Ole Miss softball program and prepares to take advantage of the next three years in her college career.
But for now, Osias is just going to enjoy playing the sport she loves.
“It’s definitely fun to play the best kids in the nation in the SEC, and I think it’s fun to come out here every day and know you are playing the best players in the nation,” Osias said of her first season on the team. “I think the fun part, though, is just being out here with good friends and good company and the support from the Ole Miss fans.”
For continuing coverage of Ole Miss softball, follow @allison_slusher and @thedm_sports on Twitter.
