Fall practice is heating up as Auburn softball prepares to return to the field for the 2021 season. Head coach Mickey Dean will lead a squad of 29 student-athletes onto the field to compete, nine of which will be putting on the Auburn uniform for the first time. As the weeks leading up to first pitch count down, we'll introduce the newest Tigers to join the program. On deck, Maddie Penta, an acclaimed right-handed hurler out of Bohemia Manor High School in Chesapeake City, Md.
Q: Why did you choose to play softball at Auburn?
Penta: I chose to play softball at Auburn because when I stepped on campus for the first time it felt like home. It was like I was meant to be here. I enjoy Auburn's strong sense of community and family. The facilities and coaching staff are fantastic.
Q: Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions?
Penta: I only have one superstition, and it's wearing a visor. Whenever I pitch, I have to wear a visor no matter if the sun is shining or if we are playing a night game.
Q: What do you think will be the biggest challenge for you in moving from Maryland to Auburn?
Penta: The biggest challenge will probably be just getting used to being so far from home. The team is great, and everyone has really made me feel welcome and like I'm part of a family here, so it shouldn't be too much of a challenge.
Q: What is one program record that you'd really like to break?
Penta: I would love to break Auburn's strikeout record. I would like to break this record because I want to challenge myself to be the best. My job as a pitcher, and my personal goal, is to strike everyone out when I step on that field.
Q: What is your favorite movie?
Penta: My favorite movie is "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." I'm a big fan of all the Harry Potter films, but that one is the best in my opinion.
Q: What advice would you give to young Maddie who is just beginning her softball career?
Penta: One piece of advice I would give my younger self would be to never let anyone try to bring you down. When I was younger, nine to about 11 years old, I wasn't always the best player on the field. Sometimes I would let other people's opinions of me affect me. I learned to let other people's words fuel me, drive me to work harder and prove them wrong. That's how I got to where I am and how I will keep progressing as a player.
Q: If you had a million dollars to donate to a charity of your choice, which charity would you donate it to and why?
Penta: I would donate the money to the Natasha Watley Foundation. The mission of this foundation is to give young girls in low-income areas a chance to play softball. Through this, the NWF hopes to empower young girls, influence healthy choices and create leaders with extraordinary character. I would donate to this foundation because they have the power to make such a positive impact on our sport on and off the field.
Q: What is one word you would use to describe Coach Dean?
Penta: Intense.
Q: Do you have any softball icons that you looked up to growing up?
Penta: Growing up, my softball icon was Jackie Traina. I remember watching her in the Women's College World Series. I always thought it was so cool how she grunted when she pitched and how hard she threw. I definitely looked up to her and aspired to be like her.
Q: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three teammates or coaches would you bring with you and why?
Penta: I would bring Coach Dean, Abby Tissier and Tannon Snow. I feel like Coach Dean would just know what to do in that situation and the four of us together would make a good team.
Q: Who is someone that has helped you grow into the athlete you are today?
Penta: My mom has made the greatest impact on me as an athlete over anyone else by far. She pitched for the University of Delaware and has been my pitching coach and mentor since I started playing softball at the age of six. She still is my biggest fan and I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today without her.
Q: If you could give a message to the Auburn Family regarding the 2021 softball season, what would it be?
Penta: Hey, Auburn Family! I'm so excited to make my debut as an Auburn Tiger this spring, hopefully I will see y'all at the Women's College World Series! War Eagle!