Catchers are primarily known for their offensive power and Maggie Daniel has definitely shown it as she received an offer from UCLA. Her swing is simple yet effective as she has power to all sides of the field and has broken her school’s home run record each year she’s been on the field. Her power is not just from batting, but on defense as well as she caught 12 runners from stealing in her Sophomore season.
“I really like being able to work with my pitchers,” Daniel said. “Being able to figure out what they need has been really fun. I like being able to control it.”
Overcoming The Stress
Summer ball is extremely important to softball players as they try to get all the exposure they can for colleges and coaches. Maggie missed the summer of 2021 due to a broken thumb and it left her wondering about her future. Being able to use your thumb is crucial to both hitting and catching, and Maggie was not able to do either for a while as tournaments were fast approaching. However, a visit to a camp held by UCLA changed things as she was given some hope.
“We’ve been talking since September 1st until I committed,” Daniel said. “I just knew it was the place for me, and they understood with the injury. That’s one of the reasons I really liked it there. Cause they saw me outside of the injury. They saw me interact with my teammates in the dugout [and wanted me].”
The Whole Package
If you take one look at Maggie’s Twitter page, you’ll notice almost every post is about her team, her teammates, and the adventure her young college softball career is on. She works on helping her teammates improve, she shares laughs and celebrates as they make plays, and of course, is there with them through the thick and the thin. But that does not mean she does not have her own skills as previously mentioned. Daniel slashed .373/.470/.806 with an astounding 1.276 OPS last year at the plate.
Her outgoing personality definitely is something that comes as a bonus with her skills as she looks forward to interacting with every one of her teammates at UCLA. Some of her favorite things to do are hanging out with her friends as they go shopping, to dinner, etc. Maggie comes from Alabama, but she excitedly talks about going to California, and she cannot wait to find out how much there is to do in the big city of Los Angeles.
Being a great teammate is something that really shines in her as she will get ready for another season in high school. The wall behind her shows pictures of family, friends, and teammates and is a prime example of how much the people in her life mean to her. She’s a great teammate in the game of life and she will get to show UCLA that. Her positive attitude is also on full display at all times.
“You have to take into consideration, even though you failed quite a bit, the success that you have gotten has been big,” Daniel said. “[If] you’re going 3-for-10, it’s still .300 at the end of the day.”