Olympia’s Maddy Newkirk Finds a New Home, Realizes Dream Playing Fastpitch

olympia softball
Maddy Stensby (left) and Maddy Newkirk are two of six returning starters for the Bears.
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By Gail Wood

chehalis sheet metalAs a freshman, Maddy Newkirk shared the same dream as many of her teammates on the Olympia High School fastpitch team.

One day, she wanted to get a chance to go to college on a fastpitch scholarship. But to do that she had to make one sacrifice others chasing that same dream didn’t have to make. Newkirk had to move to America, leaving her home and family in Australia.

olympia softball
Maddy Stensby (left) and Maddy Newkirk are two of six returning starters for the Bears.

After starting at third base for the Bears and coach Matt Loes her freshman year, she asked her father if she could stay in Olympia.

“I told him I wanted to play fastpitch in college,” Newkirk said, her Australian accent flavoring every word. “We don’t have fastpitch in Australia. I wanted to get a college scholarship.”

So, Newkirk stayed and her dream has come true. Now a senior, the all-league third baseman has accepted a scholarship to play at Mount Hood Community College.

During the summer after her freshman year of high school, Maddy’s father emailed Coach Loes to express her interest to stay in Olympia and not return to living with her mother in Australia. “He asked about her chances of getting a college scholarship for fastpitch someday,” Loes said, commenting that he thought the chances were pretty good.

Now, Newkirk is one of six returning starters back off a Bears team that finished 20-6 last year and tied for the 4A Narrows League title. Also back is Maddy Stensby, a hard-throwing pitcher who was the league’s MVP pitcher. Returning behind the plate for her senior year is Adrianna Rupright, a first-team all-league pick since her freshman year. The pitch-and-catch combo are both headed to college on a fastpitch scholarship. Stensby is headed to the University of Montana and Rupright is going to the University of San Francisco Academy of Arts.

olympia softball
Olympia head coach Matt Loes hits some line drives to his outfield during a recently practice.

Stensby, with her fastball clocked at 63 mph, is a difference maker on the mound and at the plate. She batted .410 last year and hit eight home runs, breaking a school record.

“She’s not just a pitcher with a dynamic curve and awesome changeup,” Loes said at a recent practice. “She crushes the ball. I gave them 12 swings today and she hit four of them out. She can hit.”

Loes is hoping Stensby’s knack for hitting the long ball is contagious.

“I’m going to predict Olympia is going to break the school’s home run record, which we did last year,” Loes said. “I want them to drive the ball.”

Stensby had a 1.58 ERA, making her double-trouble for opponents as a pitcher and a batter.

“My favorite pitch to throw is a curveball and then my changeup after that,” said left-handed Stensby.

Her fastball sets up her changeup, often catching batters swinging at air. But Stensby doesn’t spend all her time playing fastpitch, perfecting her pitch and swing. She’s in a civics class that does community work, doing things like serving dinners during Thanksgiving. She also volunteers to coach a youth fastpitch team.

olympia softball
The Bears take some infield practice at a recent workout.

“Pitching is hard to come by and I want to pass on the knowledge to the younger girls,” Stensby said.

Three other returning starters Loes is counting on are Bri Bell, Erin Roloff and Glynne Saelid. Bell, who hits with power, is back at first base. Roloff, a speedy slap hitter, is a tough out and plays outfield.

“Bri hits with power,” said Loes, who is beginning his eight year as the Bears head coach and 18th overall as a head coach. “Erin is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, girls I’ve seen. She converted to slap hitting a couple of years ago.”

Last year as a freshman, Saelid started at second for the Bears and led her team in batting for the first month.

“She’s a good one,” Loes said.

Olympia came into spring turnouts in good shape thanks in part to an off-season training schedule Loes started a few years. This year Loes asked Newkirk to lead the workouts that are on Tuesday and Thursday.

olympia softball
Batting practice is a big part of the Bears success.

“Maddy is really a good kid,” Loes said. “She works really hard. She’s our main leader.”

Newkirk hasn’t let her personal goals push aside her leadership role in helping her teammates. She knows how to mix fun with hard work.

“She’s a great leader and she’s funny,” Loes said. “The kids like her. She’s very team oriented.”

“She’s so friendly,” Stensby said about Newkirk. “When she does yell at us, it’s like oh yeah, we better get our stuff together. We must be doing something wrong.”

Newkirk, with her friendly manner, adjusted to her new home-away-from-home quickly. But she admits that it was pretty hard. She’s missed her parents, two brothers and sister.

“It was kind of hard but not really,” Newkirk said with a giggle. “I’ve got good friends here. It was hard adjusting to fastpitch because I had never played before. I had played cricket in Australia. But other than that no. It’s been a pretty easy adjustment really. I’ve had a jolly good time.”

And her coach and teammates have enjoyed having her on their team. It’s been a dream come true for both.

 

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