The Texas Tech Red Raiders enjoyed a step-out campaign in 2019, reaching the NCAA tournament for the first time in several years and showing themselves competitive on the national stage. As they look to build off of that success, head coach Adrian Gregory quietly landed one of the the nation’s top transfers in former Indiana standout Maddie Westmoreland.
Westmoreland heads to Lubbock with two years of eligibility remaining, and looking to build on a stellar 2019 season in her own right. The 5’9″catcher earned her second consecutive all-Big Ten first-team nod after the ’19 campaign, adding back-to-back all-region honors for good measure. She batted .315 as a sophomore, with eight home runs and twenty-four RBI, a power bat in the midst of the Hoosier lineup.
“I am so excited to be apart of the softball program at Texas Tech,” Westmoreland told JWOS. “It was such a great fit both academically and athletically. The support staff as well as the exceptional facilities drew me to the university. I’m looking forward to a bright future at TTU, especially when looking at past success within the program.”
Discussion about her decision to transfer to Texas Tech brought only more praise from the Glendale, Arizona native: “The coaches highlight individuality and encourage every player to become the best version of themselves. I really love how the team is so welcoming and willing to do whatever it takes to get to the next level,” she added. “It was important to me to surround myself with people who have similar goals and values in mind. Overall I am really looking forward for this season, and growing as a player!”
The hard-hitting slugger led her team in home runs and RBIs during her freshman year at Indiana, also pacing her squad in batting average during her sophomore campaign. Though on-the-field qualities and team chemistry were high points in her consideration of Lubbock, thinking of the big picture also played a role in the decision-making process.
“I believe that Texas Tech will truly help me become the best athlete I can be, which is really important to me because I only have two more years of college softball left,” Westmoreland said before adding, “As a pre-medical student, it was so so cool to see that the university medical center is right across from the field! My goals as an athlete and future surgeon are right next to me at Texas Tech.”
Filling some holes in the lineup for the Red Raiders is not nearly as large of a task with Westmoreland’s addition, and she has set high goals for herself. “My goal for myself is to become an all American; that’s been my dream ever since I’ve started softball,” she says. “Academically, I want to get accepted into medical school as well. I want to leave an impact on Texas Tech softball. Not only do I want to be a great softball player, but more importantly, a great teammate. Overall, I want to be able to leave this program knowing that I did everything I could to grow the game and represent the program as best as I can.”
Already playing like a veteran in her first years as a college athlete, Westmoreland exhibits a similar mindset when it comes to the next generation of athletes who want to be in her shoes: “If I can inspire girls across the country like the ones before me did when I was a kid,” she said, “then I can leave the game feeling accomplished.”
