Sophomore pitcher Maribeth Gorsuch and sophomore catcher Sydney Springfield may have chemistry on the softball diamond, but that wasn’t always the case in high school.
The two were both star players at their high schools in the Lewisville Independent School District, located 30 miles northwest of Dallas.
At Flower Mound High School, Springfield was the Class 6-6A Offensive Player of the Year her senior year. In her decorated senior season, Springfield recorded a .514 batting average while gaining 20 RBIs and 20 walks.
One of the crowning moments of Springfield’s high school career came her junior year, where she helped lead the Jaguars to a district title, and were a win away from playing in the state tournament.
The Jaguar offense was dominant as they averaged seven runs per game, and Springfield helped lead the way by hitting a .390 average and five home runs.
“[Gorsuch] and I didn’t have to play each other in the playoffs, but we were always keeping an eye on each other,” Springfield said. “We were always one game away from competing against each other in the tournament.”
Seven miles away from Flower Mound in Lewisville, Gorsuch won 70 games in the circle and was a part of her high school’s state championship run in 2013.
Like Springfield, Gorsuch also had a remarkable junior season. As Lewisville High’s starting pitcher, she went 24-5, recorded 343 strikeouts and had a 0.90 ERA.
Gorsuch was named the All-State and All-Area Player of the Year, as well as the Most Valuable Player of the state tournament team.
Gorsuch recalls having the time of her life playing in the state championship at the University of Texas, describing the experience as something that she would
never forget.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking, but it was a super cool experience,” Gorsuch said. “To play on a bigger stage at the state championship was just something I absolutely loved.”
Even though Springfield and Gorsuch’s teams were fierce district rivals, the two players first came into contact with each other as 12-year-olds on the Texas
Glory club.
The Texas Glory club is the same club that has produced multiple players at Division I schools. Texas A&M’s freshman catcher Abby Smith and LSU’s freshman outfielder Taryn Antoine are recent alumnae.
“We were on different Glory teams, but we did know [Antoine],” Springfield said. “I met her first through an LSU softball camp, and we kind of kept track with each other when we went to the same travel ball tournaments.”
It was at Texas Glory that LSU assistant coach Howard Dobson first spotted Springfield while evaluating players. In the games that Dobson attended, Springfield was practically a home run hitting machine.
“I think that he’s a really good recruiter and I think he knows what to find in girls,” Springfield said. “I’m just glad that we got to meet each other and that he got to follow me and recruit me and now help me grow into a woman and a collegiate softball player that can hit. To have him in the back to help me succeed is awesome.”
LSU coach Beth Torina was pretty shocked to see Gorsuch and Springfield on the field together, considering that it’s a rare thing.
“I thought that was a neat thing that Maribeth and Sydney pitched and caught,” Torina said. “They’re both talented and we’re lucky to have them both.”
Gorsuch and Springfield still embrace having the same bond that they had when they were 12-year- olds at Texas Glory.
“I thought that it was super cool that we competed against each other,” Gorsuch said. “It’s cool growing up together and competing with each other in travel ball.”
“I know what to say when she’s pitching and there needs to be a timeout called,” Springfield added. “I just know how she works and I think it’s really cool that we know that about each other.”
