Senior Salute: Auburn's Maddie Penta savors 'the best years of my life so far'

AUBURN, Ala. – On 888 occasions over the past four seasons, Auburn pitcher Maddie Penta smiled while competing for Auburn.  

“Strikeouts make me very happy,” said Penta, who has averaged 1.33 strikeouts per inning from 2021-24.

Auburn’s all-time wins leader with 73 victories, Penta plays her final regular season series when the Tigers host Alabama Thursday-Saturday at Jane B. Moore Field.  

“Showing it off, having the fans cheer for you, having your teammates cheer for you,” she said. “It’s an awesome feeling. I’m not going to lie. There’s a little bit of a pride and ego thing there that every pitcher has.”

Saturday is Maddie Penta Day at JBM, a chance for fans to express appreciation to Auburn’s ace pitcher.

“It’s been a great experience,” she said. “It’s gone by way too fast. These have been the best years of my life so far. I’ll be sad to see it end but I always know there’s a new journey for me in the future.”

That new journey could include playing professionally in Japan or perhaps pursuing opportunities with Team USA. Penta sees herself coaching at some point but she’s not ready yet to trade in her glove for a coach’s clipboard.

“I would love to be a pitching coach at the collegiate level,” she said. “For now, I’m trying to stay in the sport as long as I can.”

Looking back on four seasons of premier pitching, one series stands out.

After pitching a complete-game three hitter in Auburn’s 5-1 victory in Tuscaloosa on April 22, 2023, Penta beat Alabama again the next day, striking out eight in a 3-1 win to lead the Tigers to a series victory.

“The last day of the Alabama series last year was the best day of my life,” said Penta, who was voted the SEC Pitcher of the Year last season when she went 27-7 with 303 strikeouts and a 1.71 ERA.

“Every single time I go out there, these girls have my back and we have a good time. This year we’ve had a lot of fun. There are a lot of memories I’ll cherish this year and last year, but the Alabama one does stick out in particular.”

This season, Maddie welcomed her sister Mariah as a teammate.

“Getting to see her flourish and figure things out, trying to help her where I can, it’s been a great experience,” Maddie said.

In an era when transferring has never been easier for student-athletes, Maddie Penta’s loyalty to Auburn remains steadfast.

“First of all, the Auburn family,” she said. “The fans are like no other. They’re incredibly loyal. They show love for each and every one of us. I’ve definitely felt that love in my four years here.

“I also love the school. You get a great education and a beautiful campus. I always have fun with my teammates. They make every day special. They make me laugh every day.

“Coach Dean has been like a father figure to me. He’s completely elevated my game and changed me as a person and as a pitcher for the better. I owe it to him to be here because he has given me so much. He’s paved the way for me to be great.”

New locker rooms this season at McWhorter Center have facilitated an even deeper connection, with student-athletes arriving long before practice to hang out.

“This year has been incredible when it comes to camaraderie,” she said. “We’ve had great team chemistry. We spend a lot of time together off the field. They’re a great group of girls and we all want to fight for each other.”

Growing up in Maryland, Penta played baseball with neighborhood boys before playing rec softball as an 8-year-old and travel ball at 10. For a few years, she played outfield and first base but there was one big problem.

“I hit but I was scared of the ball so I would jump out of the box,” she said. “Hitting wasn’t for me and fielding wasn’t for me.”

Thus was born the winningest pitcher in Auburn history.

“I liked striking people out,” said Penta, who has pitched exclusively since she was 13. “I liked being the center of attention in a way. I found a love for competing in general and softball is where I found I was able to do that best.”

Penta tried soccer (“I was honestly pretty bad at that”), basketball (“I was awful at that”) and swimming (“I was pretty good at that”), but softball – and especially the circle in which the pitcher resides – called to her.

“It was something I was good at and I just stuck with it,” said Penta, who’s driven daily by the challenge of getting the best of each opponent, one batter at a time. “The feeling of winning. I’m a very competitive person, someone who hates to lose.”  

The ultimate competitor, Maddie Penta graciously receives – and reciprocates – Auburn’s adulation.

“I love Auburn and everyone who is here,” she said. “So many people have been part of this journey and have impacted me and made my life so special.

“I wake up every day and feel so grateful to be where I am and be surrounded by the people I’m surrounded by: GAs, managers, coaches, teammates and extended staff. They’re all great people and they make every day something special.”