Lauren RabainoFor Jenna Maiden, change is a good thing.
The 21-year-old junior has shown she can adapt and thrive in many positions for the Cal Poly softball team, playing as a pitcher, rightfielder and utility player before a successful move to center field this season.
“I wanted to become more of a leader and took the position of a role player,” Maiden says. “Whatever positions our coach wanted me to play, I would put forth the energy and hard work to become the best that I could for the team.”
Prior to the switch, Maiden collected a team high in wins in the circle for Cal Poly in 2007 by compiling a 13-4 record while boasting a 2.4 ERA.
Through 43 games this season, the relocated Maiden is second for the Mustangs in batting average (.304) and RBI (21), and has surpassed her 2007 totals in runs, hits, triples and home runs.
Cal Poly head coach Jenny Condon has praised Maiden’s improvement upon transitioning to her new role in center field.
“She provides some power and consistency offensively,” Condon says. “I just expect her to continue getting better and better, and, as she becomes more confident in herself, to bring a little bit more leadership as a senior.”
One of Maiden’s best performances this year came in March at the Sacramento State-hosted Capital Classic Tournament, which she entered with one home run and left with three, as well as team-leading totals in runs (six), hits (eight), RBI (11), total bases (19) and slugging percentage (1.056). She was named Big West Conference Player of the Week the following Monday.
Her versatility was rewarded with three separate All-Big West merits in 2007, including second-team distinction as a pitcher and an honorable-mention nod as a rightfielder and a utility player.
Maiden’s recent accomplishments are especially impressive considering she entered the 2007 season with only five collegiate at-bats.
“My love for this game has far exceeded the struggles and triumphs I have gone through, and I’m so proud of the person and player I have developed into,” she says. “Softball has helped me to become a stronger person and deal with everything life has to offer.”
Maiden started playing T-ball at age 5 – with boys, as she wasn’t allowed to play softball until she was 7.
Following a stellar prep career at Righetti High in Santa Maria, where Maiden was a four-year letterwinner and All-Pac 5 League First Team and All-San Luis Obispo County selection, she joined the Mustangs as a walk-on her freshman year, though she was recovering from shoulder surgery.
“Many people were doubtful as to whether I would ever start another softball game again,” she says. “I feel my hard work and resiliency helped to show what kind of softball player I really was.”
While Maiden says the season thus far hasn’t turned out as well as the Mustangs (22-21) may have planned, she thinks the coming years will put the program on a path toward winning a national championship.
“I am so impressed with the amount of hard work we have all put into this season,” she says. “I feel that each and every one of us has a will and desire to win . individually, we have all done some great things.”
Maiden, who hopes to use her experience at Cal Poly to coach softball in the future, has been as valuable as any of those individuals to Condon.
“She definitely leads by example in how hard she works,” Condon explains. “I expect there to be lots of leaders next year, Jenna being one of them.”