Words: Joey Sedlacko

Photos: Zach Grable

Recently, sophomore Lauren Marcotte gained national recognition for her outstanding performance in high school softball. She was named a 2018 high school softball player-to-watch by USA Today.

“It was an honor to be recognized,” Marcotte stated.

Last year, as a freshman, Marcotte had a stellar season on the varsity softball team. Marcotte finished with a league-leading nine home runs and a .697 batting average, and set a state record for triples in a season with 10. In addition, 28 out of her 53 hits were for extra bases and she batted in 39 runs. Last season, Marcotte broke six school records including the batting average record, which was held since 1982. Marcotte’s remarkable freshman season landed her a spot on the 2017 Howard County softball all-county team.

Marcotte worked hard to improve her skills during the offseason. She plays for her travel team, the Beverly Bandits, which is a softball organization based out of Columbus, Ohio. The team competed in tournaments and showcases during the fall.

“It was hard to get together with my team since the girls are spread out over the country,” said Marcotte.

As a result, Marcotte has a batting coach in Virginia, does conditioning at a local training center in Elkridge, and practices with a few local teams. Marcotte’s work ethic and commitment to getting better in softball is incredible.

The upcoming softball season is just about underway and Marcotte has put high expectations on herself following such a great freshman year.

“On a personal level, I am striving to break the records I set as a freshman and improve upon my overall play,” she said. “We have a great group of girls with a lot of talent and I believe Coach Grimm and Coach Maria will take us far this season.”

Marcotte has a special level of talent, and it has not gone unnoticed by college scouts. As a sophomore, Marcotte is already verbally committed to play Division 1 softball at Penn State University. She visited many different campuses, but decided that Penn State was the right school for her.

“All the help and support from God, my coaches, my family, my teammates, and my friends have gotten me to the place I am today.”

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