The junior pitcher, the Inter-Ac softball MVP and a first team All-Main Line softball selection last spring, has allowed only 19 hits and four earned runs in 64 innings pitched this season (as of May 6) for a 0.44 ERA, with 148 strikeouts (she currently has 411 career strikeouts). Masiko is also a potent hitter, with a .378 batting average with 17 hits, two home runs and 18 RBIs. Off the softball diamond at EA, Masiko belongs to the school’s Forensic Club and OneLove Club and worked at the aftercare program at Episcopal Academy in the winter.
Q: What is your best pitch? What do you think has been the biggest key to your impressive strikeout total?
A: I think my best pitch is my rise ball. I think the key to my strikeout success is the mix of my pitches. I work the inside and outside of the plate with up and down movement.
Q: What aspect of your pitching did you work on most during the past off-season?
A: I worked the most on locating my spin pitches low in the zone. My goal in the offseason was to be able to pitch at the knees of the batter on demand.
Q: As a pitcher, you probably have a better idea of how to pitch to a batter the more you see her. Can you tell us a few of the things you look for when a hitter that you’ve seen before comes to the plate?
A: When I see a batter I’ve seen multiple times, I look for their foot positioning in the box and the trajectory of the swing. If they are back in the box, they will probably be late on a rise ball, and if they are in the front of the box, I could jam them inside with a screwball on the hands. With the trajectory of the swing, if they swing upwards, I would pitch a rise ball, but if they have a lunging swing, I would pitch far outside with a curveball.
Q: What aspect of your hitting did you work on most during the past off-season?
A: I worked the most with my hits to the right side of the field. I’ve been mainly a pull-hitter in my career, so being able to hit to the right side is very important and something I’ve worked really hard on.
Q: What has been your favorite experience to date with the EA softball team to date?
A: My favorite experience with the softball team has been going to Universal Studios on our Florida spring training trip. It was a great bonding experience and I loved spending time with my friends and making new memories with them.
Q: Who have been your most influential softball mentors and what has been the most valuable thing each of them have taught you?
A: My most influential mentor is my dad. He has instilled in me a good work ethic and a curious attitude when it comes to softball. He always takes time out of his day to work with me, whether it’s pitching front toss, hitting me ground balls, or catching a bullpen. I’m forever grateful for the support and love he has shown me over the years.
Q: What has been your favorite memory of your softball career outside of EA?
A: My favorite memory with softball outside of school is playing against one of the best-ranked softball teams in the country and beating them. I pitched the whole game, and it was a tight score, 3-1. It was so much fun.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-game preparation the day of a contest.
A: My pre-game preparation is to take it really easy before the game, eat a full meal, and pray in the dugout before the first pitch.
Q: What is your favorite ballpark and why?
A: My favorite ballpark is Citizens Bank Park, because I go there every year with my grandmother.
Q: What is your favorite academic subject at EA? What do you think you’d like to major in at college? Is there a particular career field that interests you at the present time?
A: My favorite subjects at school are biology and chemistry. I would like to major in biochemistry with a focus in forensics. I want to be a forensic pathologist.
Fun facts – Maddie Masiko
Favorite Movie: 10 Things I Hate About You.
Favorite Athlete: Amanda Lorenz (I met her when I was 12).
Favorite Pregame Pump-Up Song: Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen (walk up song).
Favorite Team: EA softball, Philadelphia Phillies.
(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)
To view a gallery of the previous Main Line Girls Athletes of the Week click here
