With runners on second and third and one out in a scoreless game Tuesday, Seymour softball coach Jerry Burton did what just about any other coach who has heard of Maddi Rutan would do.
He intentionally walked her.
After all, the Columbus North sophomore had hit six home runs and driven in 14 runs in the first five games of her high school career. So with first base open, Burton put her on.
“She’s one of the best players in the state, along with the (Roncalli’s Keagan) Rothrock girl, and there’s several others in that class,” North coach Ron McDonald said. “That’s why Jerry walked her intentionally. He told me he would if he got in that position.”
While Burton, a former Columbus East and North coach who still lives in Columbus, knew all about Rutan’s reputation, word has started to spread to other parts of the state.
Through their first 10 games, Rutan is leading the Bull Dogs with a .576 batting average, eight homers, 18 RBIs and 17 runs scored.
“I can’t do it without my team,” Rutan said. “It’s a team sport. I’m so blessed to just be here and be on the field. I think I’m getting off to a really good start, but I have to keep it throughout the year and have confidence in myself to produce every game and not just for myself. It’s always for my team.”
Not only is Rutan North’s top hitter, she also is the Bull Dogs’ top pitcher. She is 4-2 with a 4.05 ERA, with 51 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched.
When Rutan isn’t pitching, she plays shortstop.
“I’ve always grown up doing multiple things,” Rutan said. “I’ve always loved playing both positions. It kind of comes natural to me, but it is a challenge going from pitching and then going to short since you were in a different spot. Hitting involved with it just takes a lot of time and effort and practice and preparation, but I think I’ve been handling it well and I just have to keep it up.”
Rutan had made a name for herself through travel softball. She started playing when she was 5 and led her teams to multiple state titles. In 2017, she led her team to the USSSA Fast-Pitch National Championship.
But high school softball has provided Rutan with more good vibes.
“It’s a lot different than travel and when I was a lot younger,” Rutan said. “The atmosphere is just amazing. It’s really a big deal, like family. I just connect with everyone so well. That’s something you can’t get somewhere else. The feel of it is so different than any other thing that I’ve ever imagined. It’s just an amazing experience, and I’m so happy that I get to enjoy it with everyone else.”
That’s a stark contrast to last spring, when high school sports were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was really tough,” Rutan said. “I know my whole team that didn’t get to play last year was very disappointed and especially the seniors. But we looked forward to this year and are happy that we’re here and take every moment that we have on this field, don’t take it for granted because it could be gone again just like that because of this weird COVID stuff. We just have to take every day one day at a time and just be ready for anything that hits.”
Although colleges can’t offer scholarships until Sept. 1 of a player’s junior year, Rutan has been looking at schools. She has visited Eastern Kentucky and has attended camps at Kentucky.
Rutan wants to continue to both hit and pitch in college.
“I really think that if I keep going how I am and keep producing and setting goals for myself, every time I get up and keep getting better, I feel like I truly can live up to my dream and expectations of hitting and pitching,” Rutan said.
But before that, Rutan still has 2 1/2 years of high school softball to play. She’s focused on helping the Bull Dogs, who play today at Columbus East, defend the sectional title they won in 2019.
“I really want to set some records for myself, and I really want to pitch well for my team and overall, produce good for my team and for myself and try my best and do my best every game and not get down on myself,” Rutan said. “I’ve struggled with that in the past, and I’ve been trying to work on that — not getting down. I know a team overall goal is to make it to regional and win through that.”
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Columbus North at Columbus East softball
When: 5 p.m. today
Where: Columbus East High School
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