By Blake Chadwick
Maize South softball took the area by storm this year with a record of 25-3 before reaching the state tournament.
The Mavericks are led by head coach Cody Stucky, who is in his 20th year coach, 19th as a head coach and second year at Maize South.
“I definitely knew we had a talented group of players but I wasn’t aware that our pitching would be as good as it’s been,” Stucky said. “They all seem to be very close and if one girl is having an off day, another girl will pick her up and play really well. Our pitching and defense has been very solid which is obviously a very big deal.”
The Mavericks have a bunch of good players and have a lot of youth that sets them up for a very big future with junior pitcher and third base Sophie Stockam, junior catcher Lizzy Lassley, sophomore shortstop Kiley Thornquist and pitcher Kinslee Cottner.
The key to success for the Mavericks was just as you would think, and that is to keep it simple.
“We try to keep things light and loose but then when it’s time to focus in they do a nice job of that,” Stucky said. “We have set the bar high and the expectation is to win and if a team wants to beat us, they are going to have to play really well.”
For the Mavericks, the team that beat them in state had to do just that.
After a 3-2 win over Topeka Seaman, Maize South went on to play against the eventual state champion, Bishop Carroll Golden Eagles.
