The softball team may not be having the season it would like with a 4-15 record heading into Tuesday’s game against Heritage but senior Madi Bryant has been a silver lining on the team with more than 100 strikeouts on the season. Receiving an offer to continue her softball career at West Point, Bryant received a scholarship to attend one of West Point’s civil preparatory schools before moving on the United States Military Academy.

“The coach and admissions think an extra year will help ease me into the rigorous courses and atmosphere at West Point,” Bryant said in a text message. “It’s surreal, I was and still am extremely excited and honored to have this opportunity to continue my softball career at such a prestigious college.”

Bryant was told over the phone by the West Point coach that she had received the scholarship which set off a celebration.

“Once I got the letter and opened it I started to fully realize I had a scholarship,” Bryant said in a text message. “After reading the letter, I did a little happy dance and ran to get my dad to read it. I started texting all my family members and friends about the news, I even started planning what to post on social media.”

Bryant credits her coaches for helping in her recruitment.

“My travel coach for American Freedom helped with recruiting processes; he talked to the coach first and let her know who I was and about my accomplishments when she first saw me pitch. My previous travel coach for Mizuno Impulse also talked to the West Point coach and let her know about me,” Bryant said. “My coaches at Liberty have always been supportive of me over the past few years and have been my second family during the season and have taught me so many life lessons beyond the field.”

Bryant is excited to further her softball career at West Point because of her opportunity of being able to continue to do what she loves.

“I love everything about the game,” Bryant said in a text message. “I’d have to say my favorite part is the challenge of a tough situation. I start to block out all the noise and distractions to where it’s just me and my catcher and I feel like I’m on top of the world at the moment.”

The high she gets from pitching has its origin in another athletic endeavor: cheerleading. At eight years old, Bryant switched from her cheerleading team to her coaches softball team.  

“She announced that she was done with cheerleading and that she only wanted to play softball is when I know softball was a big thing for her,” Bryant’s mom Charlotte said in a text message. “And when she go into West Point I felt so proud of her. I was ecstatic and overwhelmed. I told her that she had earned it through all her blood, sweat, and tears. Literally.”

From practicing with her father in the backyard to tournament travel, Bryant’s opportunity at West Point is something of a family affair.

“We eat, sleep, and breathe softball,” Charlotte said. “Most weekends we are at a softball field. In the summer she plays the big tournaments in Florida, California and Colorado so we incorporate our family vacations into wherever she is playing.”

On Tuesday and Friday, that means Bryant will be wearing her school colors as one the stalwarts of the softball program.

“Madi has done a great job this year for us on the mound,” head coach Martha Richard said in an email. “She has grown so much over the four years. She exhibits such great leadership and composure on the mound that allows her teammates to keep playing behind her.”