Bishop Noll’s Madelynn Queen should be used to it by now.
But every time the Bethel University commit connects for a home run, the person who least expects to see the ball sail over the fence is the one who hit it.
“When you go up to bat, you’re not looking to hit a home run every single time,” Queen said. “It just kind of takes you by surprise when you do hit one.”
Queen downplays her power at the plate, but her coach and teammates say those numbers are no accident because her commitment to weightlifting is rewarded whenever she squares up the ball with her bat.
For the second straight season, Queen has provided the most pop in the lineup for the Warriors (7-9). The senior infielder/pitcher has team highs with five home runs and 18 RBIs to go with her .395 batting average. Queen has also been effective in the circle with a 2.82 ERA in 57 innings.
“As a pitcher, she’s made it hard for teams to hit the ball solidly, and that’s helped our defense out,” Bishop Noll coach Elena Sobilo said. “And, offensively, we’ve seen more power from her. Whatever work she’s done in the offseason to get stronger, we’re seeing the benefits of that work.”
Bishop Noll senior catcher Daniella Zvonar has noticed a different zip on Queen’s pitches this season and also attributed that to Queen’s offseason training.
“Her ball has a lot more speed and movement on it,” Zvonar said. “She’s humble about it, but she’s constantly working in the offseason.”
Queen actually can trace her progress back to her sophomore year at Andrean, where she decided against playing softball that season. With extra time on her schedule, Queen discovered a passion for weightlifting and started working with a personal trainer.
“I would go to the gym by myself when I was younger, but it wasn’t anything serious,” she said. “But now I’m doing lifts that are programmed for softball and for pitching, which are helping me be more explosive on the mound.”
Queen resumed playing travel softball during the summer after her sophomore year and then joined the team at Bishop Noll after transferring there as a junior. She was concerned that she’d struggle in her return to high school softball.
“I was scared that I wasn’t going to be able to keep up,” she said.
Queen’s fears subsided once she realized how much her improved strength boosted her performance. She hit .552 with a .914 slugging percentage, 32 hits, five home runs and 26 RBIs, leading Bishop Noll in each category. She struck out only once last season, although she hasn’t forgotten it because that strikeout came during her final at-bat of the season.
“I was so mad about that,” Queen said with a laugh.
She has struck out just three times this season.
“That’s an asset for us if you’re going to battle at the plate like that and make pitchers throw to you,” Sobilo said. “We want those opportunities to get on base.”
Queen is making the most of her opportunity at Bishop Noll.
“She’s made her senior year memorable by being positive all of the time and just being friendly with everyone on the team,” Zvonar said.
That was Queen’s primary goal.
“I took some time and really thought to myself about what I wanted for this season, and because this is my last year here, mostly I just wanted to have fun,” she said.
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter.
