By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports Report
WAVERLY — Waverly senior Maddie Cron signed a National Letter-of-Intent here Tuesday to continue her softball career at SUNY Brockport.
Cron cited several reasons for choosing Brockport.
"I really like the atmosphere, it's really close to home, and my cousin plays baseball there," she said.
"I love the campus, it's amazing," noted Cron. "Everything is so close ... the town is little, it's right next to the college, and it has everything there."
Cron was also drawn to the Brockport program by its coaches and players.
"The coaches were definitely a draw, they were very welcoming," she said.
"The girls are phenomenal," noted Cron. "When I went there for my visit, they were just so open and welcoming, and just wanted to make sure that everybody felt comfortable there."
Cron also had an inside resource in Waverly grad Aubrey Ennis, who is currently a senior on the Brockport team.
"I was texting her here and there when I was in the process of getting recruited, talking to her about what the team atmosphere was like," she said.
"They go to Florida for spring break to play, so I was asking her about that, and she was very positive about everything at Brockport," noted Cron.
"She didn't go to Brockport in the first place, she went to Corning, and she said going to Brockport was probably a better fit for her," added Cron. "I think it's going to be a good fit for me."
Waverly coach Brent Doane says Cron's "dedication to the game" is what will make successful at the next level.
"She's a she's a never-quit kid," said Doane. "She'll go and work hard every day.
"She'll take extra everything if she needs to.
"And, she's going to be the kid that goes to coach saying, 'What else can I do? How do I get better? This works, but I wanna be better at it,'" added Doane.
Cron, who has played third base for the Wolverines for the last three years, will play the outfield at Brockport.
"I've played third base since ninth grade," said Cron. "This year, we're changing it up a little bit. I'm gonna play a little bit of outfield, and just get a little bit more experience."
Doane believes it will be a smooth transition for Cron, who has played outfield on her travel ball team.
"She's going to transition from third base to outfield very nicely," said Doane. "In fact, she's going to transition this year for us — I expect her to place an outfield for us.
"She does things incredibly well in the outfield, he noted. "She's a dynamite outfielder, and we're really excited to see her out there for us this year."
Cron and Doane know there is work to be done before she plays collegiately.
"My hitting can always be improved," she said. "And believing in myself, because sometimes I don't really believe in myself."
"I'm gonna say she got a little work to do at the plate, maybe cut down a little bit on the strikeouts, but that's typical of every freshman that gets into college," said Doane.
"In the outfield, it's going to really become being aware of your cut-off situation, where the throw's going," he noted. "And, I think she'll be fine with that, I think she's already got that.
"In our in our program, we're running a cut system that's very similar to the collegiate style," added Doane. "I think she'll transition nicely."
Doane acknowledges there will be an adjustment to the next level.
"The big thing is she's gonna have to acclimate herself to is the speed and pace of the game, and the abilities of everyone around her," he said.
"In high school, the lineup top to bottom is not great," noted Doane. "In college, top to bottom all the girls were all-stars; that will be very different."
Doane, who has 30 years of college coaching experience, including 10 at Cornell University, has no doubt Cron will be successful at the next level.
"She'll be fine on the softball diamond for sure," he said. "She's got a great personality, so she'll make friends. She will fit right into the fold on the softball side of things.
"I'm more concerned when anybody goes away from home is how do you make that transition?
"You're two-and-a-half hours away from home, you're on your own in an environment you're not familiar with, and you don't have a lot of support there," noted Doane. "Can you make it that way? And I think she can.
"It will just be a matter of staying committed to what her goals are."
Cron will major in Inclusive Education, with the intent of being a special education teacher.
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IN PHOTO 1: Waverly's Maddie Cron. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
