University of Minnesota Athletics
Houlihan Helps Gophers Reach New Heights
5/2/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
It doesn't get much more exciting than the first two seasons Maddie Houlihan has experienced at the University of Minnesota.
The Benilde St. Margaret's graduate decided to stay in her home state after crushing every school hitting record in the book during high school. She arrived on campus eager to join a team that had been building each season. She had never considered another school. It was always Minnesota for Houlihan.
"The day I committed here was the best day of my life," Houlihan said. "I really didn't have any expectations of myself. I was just so honored to get the chance to play softball for the University of Minnesota."
Houlihan's decision to come to Minnesota has benefitted the program in more ways than one. She wasted no time making an instant impact.
Last season Houlihan won Big Ten Freshman of the Year hitting .356 with 13 doubles and 11 home runs with 46 RBI. She helped the Gophers win their second Big Ten Tournament in three years and shined on the biggest stages.
One of her biggest performances last season came when the Gophers traveled to Oklahoma, the eventual national champions. She reached base all five times she came up, hit a home run, a double and recorded five RBIs. The Gophers won the game 12-10 in eight innings.
"I just try to forget about previous at bats or pitches because that doesn't determine how I'm going to do in that moment," Houlihan said. "I have the mindset that I can beat every pitcher we face and I work to find anyway on base to give my teammates more opportunities to score."
Experiences like the Oklahoma game helped Houlihan transition into a leadership role as just a sophomore this year. The Gophers brought in seven freshmen and two transfers and roles changed. Houlihan was coming off an All-Big Ten season at first base and was asked to move to the outfield for the first time in her softball career. The change did not bother her one bit because she knew it would help the team.
"She is such a great leader because she cares more about the success of our team than her own individual success," freshman Carlie Brandt said. "She is a great teammate because she is genuine and cares about each individual person on this team. She never allows anyone to forget their importance."
Houlihan has taken her game to even greater heights as a sophomore during the Gophers historic season. She is hitting .407 with 14 doubles, three home runs and 40 RBIs. She has scored a team leading 53 runs. Against B1G foes she is hitting .427 with two doubles and two home runs.
WATCH: An inside the park home run breaks the tie! That was way too cool @Madz_Houlihoop! pic.twitter.com/njIk0u5zbM
- Minnesota Softball (@GopherSoftball) April 23, 2017
With Houlihan starting right field and hitting in the No. 3 or cleanup spot the Gophers have won an NCAA leading 48 games and are ranked No. 4 in the country. They have won a program record 19 games in a row twice and are just two wins away from claiming their first Big Ten regular season title since 1991.
"The sky is the limit for this team," Houlihan said. "The trust we have in each other makes each time we step on the field something special."
