Ligonier Valley grad Maddy Grimm helps Texas Smoke win 1st championship

After two years away from high-level softball, Maddy Grimm returned to the game she loves and won a championship.

The Ligonier Valley alum helped lead the Texas Smoke to the first championship in the Women’s Professional Fastpitch league.

The power-hitting shortstop out of Kent State stretched out her career a little farther after not playing competitively since 2021. The result was purely joyful.

She launched a pair of tape-measure home runs for the Texas Smoke in a title-clinching win over the USSSA Pride in the league championship series.

Grimm was 5 for 7 in the postseason. She didn’t even hit .200 during the regular season.

“It had been a minute since I’d seen live pitching,” Grimm told D1softball.com. “I was giving myself a grace period and trying not to get mad at myself. “Once I hit those home runs in the last game, I was like, ‘Why was I making this so difficult?’ It was definitely a good way to close the season.”

Shall we revisit Maddy Grimm's homerun? I think so.#welcometodapostseason pic.twitter.com/51T9Xd0BoX

— The Texas Smoke (@thetexassmoke) August 14, 2023

Grimm, who has played in several pro fast- and slow-pitch leagues in the United States and abroad, now lives in Irvine, Calif. and gives lessons and coaches.

She owns her own training business and is a coach for the SoCal Sting travel team and the Northwood High School team.

Just still not over these monster mashes from the final game of the season????????@thetexassmoke pic.twitter.com/fGwsQfrXhD

— Women's Professional Fastpitch (@wprofastpitch) August 15, 2023

NO. WAY.

Maddy Grimm launches her SECOND bomb of the night!????????‍????????@thetexassmoke | @Magnifiofficial pic.twitter.com/uqw99xhqvZ

— Women's Professional Fastpitch (@wprofastpitch) August 14, 2023

Grimm had considered leaving Kent State in 2017 with one year of eligibility remaining. That was before the NCAA transfer portal, and fifth-year, covid-year players.

Her teammates and associates at Kent State had her back whether she stayed or left.

“They all told me whatever I decided, they would support me. There was no spite or I can’t believe she is going to leave us,” Grimm said. “How they handled it gave me even more reason to stay quite honestly. It’s crazy to be surrounded by people who care about the human and person versus their agenda.”

Grimm stayed and pulled in Mid-American Conference Player of the Year honors. Grimm is the all-time leader at Kent State in home runs (69), RBIs (192) and runs scored (172).

“I told myself I would just try my hardest and compete and give it all I got. But I was very at peace with my life outside of playing,” Grimm said. “I have figured out who I am outside of Maddy the softball player. I would definitely say that was an advantage for me going in.”

Her pro career basically began right out of college. She served as an assistant coach at Pitt briefly before firing up the next step.

She was drafted by the Akron Racers in the fourth round of the National Pro Fastpitch Draft in 2017. Her three-year contract, though, was voided when the team relocated.

Moh-BEEL! USA then picked her in the fourth round of the first American Softball Association, but the four-team league folded soon after.

Grimm ended up playing in New Zealand in 2019, but the covid pandemic the following year chased her back to the states.

In ‘21, she headed overseas again and played for Collecchio in Italy.

A four-sport athlete and one of the greatest to play at Ligonier Valley, Grimm was a 1,000-point scorer in basketball, kicked for the football team, and also played soccer.

“This experience was really good for my soul,” Grimm said of joining Texas. “It was really cool just to be a part of history and setting the culture of what professional softball could be.”