This week we caught up with Lakeland's softball Maddie Raske. Raske has had another excellent season so far batting .400 with 32 hits and 22 RBI'S.Â
What year are you currently in at Lakeland and what is your major and minor? Â
I am currently a sophomore, and I am majoring in criminal justice with a minor in psychologyÂ
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What are you looking to do after graduating from Lakeland?Â
I don’t have a clear answer for this question, but my main goal is to go to law school to become a lawyer in my futureÂ
What made you choose Lakeland? Was there anything that made Lakeland stand out from any other schools you were looking at?Â
The main reason that I chose Lakeland was that the softball team was very welcoming, as well as I wanted to be at a smaller campus compared to the other schools out there.Â
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What’s your favorite memory from playing softball so far? Â
My favorite memory would have to be making it all the way to the NACC tourney my freshman year. The team was so talented, and it was just an awesome experience overall. Â
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You had an incredible freshman season, earning NACC Freshman of the Year! What was the key to your success last season, and how are you building on that this year?Â
A key to my success would have to be the amount of work I had put in on and off the field. I make sure to give every day the same amount of energy to make myself better and to help my team in any way that I can. I am building that off of this year by just keeping up with the grind and maintaining a healthy body because of how many games that we play this year each week because of the weather. Â
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You’re currently 2nd on the team in RBIs with 22. When you’re at the plate with runners in scoring position, what’s your approach, and how do you stay calm in those crucial moments to drive in runs?Â
My approach is simply knowing that I will drive them in. I love being in that sort of position and I try to keep myself in my zone and swinging at the pitches I know i can drive. Â
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In the top of the 7th inning, you hit a solo home run that ended up being the winning run against St. Norbert. Can you walk us through that at-bat and how it felt to deliver in such a clutch moment?Â
This would have to be one of my favorite moments so far this year. A little prior to this at bat, me and one of my teammates that were in the dugout were having just an off day and I remember us telling each other that it’s just a game and that we will be back to our normal selves. So, I went up to my last at bat with full confidence and seeing the ball go over the fence was a feeling I couldn’t even explain. Being able to deliver for my team when the time was right was an awesome experience and even having some teammates give me a hug when I walked in the dugout after was even more special. Â
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