Grant a consistent leader at pitcher during solid four-year Inland Lakes softball career

MILLERSBURG – Years ago, Maggie Grant’s least favorite sport was softball.

But right around eighth grade, things changed when she experimented with a key position.

“I started pitching and fell in love with it. From there on out, it was awesome,” Grant recalled.

It's been a fascinating journey for Grant, who was the starting pitcher during all four years of her high school career with the Inland Lakes Bulldogs.

On Saturday, Grant’s career wrapped up as the Bulldogs fell short against Hillman in a regional final. While Grant was disappointed that she and her team couldn’t pull off the upset, she's enjoyed helping lead the way.

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“I tried my best because I feel like I’ve always been a leader, but this year was truly my year that I felt comfortable being able to show it,” Grant said. “I’ve been here four years now, so I kind of knew I was going to be able to lead underclassmen. I was able to make some close bonds with the underclassmen this year. Overall, our team was close this year, so I embraced that a lot. We always talked about family.

"As a captain, I wanted everyone to have fun but know we’re here to play softball and get better.”

Like most young players, Grant had to adjust quickly when she was a freshman on varsity. But once it all started to click, Grant was solid during her career, helping the Bulldogs capture three district championships and a Ski Valley title. In addition, she was named the Ski Valley’s pitcher of the year as a junior.

What benefitted Grant was having confidence from her I-L coaches, who helped her improve in the pitcher's circle.

“I know coming in that they were looking for somebody,” Grant said. “At that time, they didn’t have a pitcher that was set in stone, so they were looking for that spot, and to be able to know that (head coach Krissi Thompson) and Coach Nate (Thompson) had that belief in me was great. Coach Nate has always believed in me in that sense.”

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Saturday was the end of Grant’s high school career, but she’ll continue to play the game she loves at Butler College in El Dorado, Kansas, next season.

“Everything just fit,” Grant said of what stood out about Butler. “I was told once you get to a college, you’ll know immediately, and I was like, ‘That’s not true,’ and I got there and was like, ‘Oh, dang, this actually means something.’ I know that there’s more that I can do. I know that I have even more potential than I’ve already shown."

With high school now in the books, Grant looks forward to the next challenge. But she also understands how much she’ll miss the last four years as a member of a proud and successful program like Inland Lakes.

“High school is special, especially being that four-year starter and knowing I’m relied on," Grant said. "I’ll miss the fact of being the pitcher that’s pointed to every game and knowing that I can get us out of those tough positions, but I’ll always have those great memories. It was a good four years of learning to grow.”

Grant said she'll major in pre law and minor in video productions at Butler.

Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Grant wraps up solid four-year career as pitcher with Inland Lakes softball