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Mid-Major Marvels: Week Two

by:Cooper Taylor02/18/25
Screenshot 2025-02-18 at 1.09.36 PM
Courtesy of ECU Athletics

Who are the stars at the Mid-Major level who took down ranked foes and Power Four opponents? There are familiar faces and new ones that stood out during the second week of the 2025 college softball season.

Maya Johnson, LHP, Belmont

Johnson went the distance in Belmont’s extra-inning upset win over Arizona State. The redshirt junior tossed eight innings, allowing just one run on two hits and striking out 12. It was the third time this season that Johnson recorded double-digit strikeouts in a game.

Maddi Rutan, RHP/UTL, Eastern Kentucky

It was quite the weekend for Rutan. She racked up two extra-base hits and drove in nine runs in Eastern Kentucky’s run-rule win over Bryant. The following day, Rutan struck out 10 batters in a complete-game shutout of Campbell. She had two hits in each of the Colonels’ three wins, batting .545 for the weekend.

Maddia Groff, LHP, Omaha

Back in her home state with Omaha, Groff picked up right where she left off last season. Over the weekend, the left-handed pitcher struck out 27 batters in 17 scoreless innings, including a pair of complete-game shutouts over Wisconsin and Florida Gulf Coast.

Lala Macario, INF, San Diego State

Macario collected a hit in every game at the Clearwater Invitational, helping San Diego State to a perfect 5-0 record over the weekend. Batting .500 in Clearwater, Macario was consistent in the lineup, finding a way to put the ball in play every at-bat without striking out.

Lexi Kobryn, RHP, Villanova

A potential freshman phenom emerged over the weekend. True freshman Lexi Kobryn threw two complete-game shutouts against then-No. 19 Florida Atlantic and Dartmouth. Along with the two wins, Kobryn struck out eight batters in 14 innings of work.

Kendall Frost, RHP, ECU

The freshman hurler picked up a pair of wins over Boston U, including throwing a complete-game shutout and besting Kasey Ricard in a pitcher’s duel. The righty threw 17.2 innings over the weekend, yielding only two runs.

Maalia Cherry, INF, CSU Bakersfield

Cherry blasted five home runs in Hawaii. The freshman batted 545 with 12 hits and 15 RBI, leading Bakersfield’s first five-game winning streak in a decade.

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