MAIDEN, N.C. — As with any individual playing any sport, an athlete just wants to fit in with the collective to build up team chemistry in hopes of coming out victorious when it matters most.
Maiden High rising senior Averie Waddell began her illustrious prep softball career at Fred T. Foard High School for its 2021 season.
Waddell shined from the outset with the Lady Tigers during her freshman campaign at the catcher position. She competed in 12 of her squad’s 14 contests and obtained a .351 batting average.
Although she only spent time in the batter’s box seldomly, she collected 13 hits in 37 at-bats including a trio of doubles.
She garnered 13 RBI and scored seven runs while also knocking out the first homer of her career on April 12, 2021, in a losing effort to Draughn, 8-6.
Her play lent her some solid accolades in her inaugural season at the high school level as she corralled the honorable mention all-conference award for the Northwestern Foothills 2A Conference. She followed that up with an All-District 7 2A nod from the North Carolina Softball Coaches Association.
Foard would go on to finish 10-4 overall and in the NFAC. Despite tying for second place in the conference standings with Bunker Hill, due to the shortened season, the Lady Tigers did not secure a state playoff berth.
This was a sour note on an otherwise solid season for the Lady Tigers.
Waddell shared the limelight with the likes of all-conference/all-district/all-state pitcher Breanna Minton, all-conference/all-district/all-state pitcher Payton Thomas, all-conference/all-district/all-state center fielder Kaylee Yoder and third baseman Kennedy Thompson.
“I enjoyed being able to play with the seniors (Kaylee, Payton, Breanna, Kennedy),” said Waddell of her experience with the Lady Tigers. “I grew up around all these girls and had caught [for] Payton since I was in elementary school. It was great to be able to help them finish their careers at Foard.”
Waddell’s freshman season would be her only time spent with the Lady Tigers as the following year, she transferred to Maiden High School.
In the process of changing teams, Waddell has already played for three different coaches at the high school level.
At Foard, she played for head coach Roland Wright. While at Maiden, she started out with coach Hugh McCall in 2022 before being led by coach Heath Kiser in 2023.
“Each coach that I have played with these past three years has all had different viewpoints and strategies,” she said. “I have been fortunate to have some amazing coaches over the years, since I have been playing out of Georgia (ATL Vipers, Georgia Impact) and Tennessee (Fury Platinum X) for travel ball for the last 5 years.”
Although she was in unfamiliar surroundings, change wasn’t anything new in a sport she’s been around since she was about 5-years-old, beginning her career at Mountain View Recreation Center in Hickory.
“It all started while watching my brother Evan play baseball,” said Waddell. “He had played his whole life and I grew up going to all his games. That is where my love of the game started.”
Waddell’s brother Evan competed on Foard’s varsity baseball team as an outfielder and right-handed pitcher; he graduated in 2021.
As with any kid growing up, Waddell switched gears when it came to the sports she played. She started out with gymnastics.
“They wanted to move me up to a competition team after 2 years; however, if I did that, I would not have been able to play softball so I quit gymnastics,” she said. “Over the next few years, I tried soccer and basketball, but softball always had a special place in my heart.
“When I was younger, I played shortstop, but I loved to pitch. I took lessons and pitched my first few years of travel softball. I caught for the first time at a 10u tournament when my team was down a catcher, and I volunteered. Catching is the first position that really made me enjoy and understand the game. Catching is my favorite because it is a high action, high stress position and you are in every play. I also enjoy being the leader of the field and the girl that people look to in stressful situations. I also play first base and enjoy that position as well.”
Carrying these tools and leadership skills developed during her softball journey, Waddell found it a much easier transition to Maiden than she might have initially anticipated.
“The people, community, and school are amazing and super supportive,” she said. “The fact that I play volleyball [with the Lady Blue Devils] gave me a jump start on meeting people and making some great friends.”
Much like her teammate Macy Michael, who finished with a .469 batting average, Waddell spearheaded the hitting machine for the Lady Blue Devils right away.
In her first season with the program in 2022, which encompasses the team’s lone playoff contest, she corralled the highest batting average with a .493 in 75 at-bats. Waddell notched 37 hits which included 12 doubles and a triple, along with a team-best 28 RBI and 23 runs scored. Of her runs, she knocked out a pair of dingers.
Led by Waddell and her partner-in-crime Michael, the Lady Blue Devils earned a 14-9 overall mark and a 10-4 record in the Catawba Valley 2A Conference, good for third place in the conference standings.
“When we hit 3 and 4 in the lineup, we protect each other at the plate and teams are unable to pitch around us. Good things happen,” Waddell said of her chemistry with Michael.
Due to her prowess, Waddell was awarded her first North Carolina Softball Coaches Association 2A All-State nod, as well as her second All-District 7 honor.
Moving into her junior season in 2023, she had already established continuity with her Lady Blue Devil teammates which included the core of Michael, all-conference/all-district athlete Aleah Ikard, all-conference/all-district player Miranda Valerio, all-conference/all-district pitcher Tristan Smalling, among others.
With this collective, Maiden finished the season with a 20-4 overall record and 13-1 in the CVAC. Atop the conference standings as the regular-season champions, it was the program’s highest finish since the 2018 season.
Among its accolades, the Lady Blue Devils went on a 12-game winning streak during the year, and it also garnered its best North Carolina High School Athletic Association 2A West state playoff run in the 21st century. It advanced to the third round before falling to West Stanly, 5-2, on May 16.
“I think that the core group that we had these last two years have definitely been something special,” said Waddell. “We used the 2022 season as a building season given that we had no seniors, so we were able to refine our skills and truly know how each other play. We knew that we would be better this season than we were last season, and we had more confidence that we could win the conference title and make a good run this year.”
Waddell finished the season with career-highs in batting average, hits, doubles, RBI and home runs. Including the three playoff outings, she had a .539 batting average. In 76 at-bats, she netted 41 hits including 16 doubles and a triple.
She batted in 40 runs while also scoring 20 runs of her own. She also garnered seven home runs which was second only to Michael’s program-record 16 dingers for the Lady Blue Devils.
Furthermore, Waddell had a .931 fielding percentage at catcher/first baseman for Maiden which included 84 putouts and 11 assists in 102 total chances.
“I’m a doubles hitter with home run potential,” she said. “My approach is line drives and hard-hit balls in the air. It boils down to see ball / hit ball, and not trying to do too much.”
Kiser said that Waddell’s work ethic and skill level was evident at the start of the season. He said that as the season progressed, she only worked harder and continually got better. Due to this, she was awarded the Lady Blue Devils’ Coaches Award at the team banquet at the conclusion of the year.
“Ms. Averie complimented the team both offensively and defensively,” said Kiser. “She finished second in almost all batting statistics and probably would have been Conference Player of the Year in most any other conference. Defensively she is a brick wall behind the plate, has a cannon of an arm, and keeps runners in check.”
Waddell was named an all-conference selection for the third consecutive time. As aforementioned, she also became a 3-time All-District 7 athlete. Then, on June 30, she was selected to the NCSCA 2A All-State team for the second time.
She said that the all-state nod in 2022 stands out for her the most because it was her first time receiving the award and it was in her first year with Maiden, which made it more special.
“I am honored to be recognized at any level,” she said. “The recognition means that they are seeing all the hard work that I am putting in behind the scenes.”
When speaking of her recognition, Division 1 schools took notice of Waddell following her first season at Maiden. She received an offer she could not refuse which led her to verbally commit to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
“September 1st of my junior year, which is the first day that D1 universities are allowed to talk to recruits, was a wild one,” she said about the recruiting process. “Through all the texts, calls, and emails I decided to go on a few different visits and Charlotte is the one that stood out the most to me.
“When I went on my first visit to Charlotte, the coaches, staff, and players were all amazing and welcoming. The facilities are top notch and only getting better. One thing that stood out to me the most in the program was their schedule. They schedule games with top 25 programs and are able to compete and win against these teams.”
Waddell may have already decided where she will spend her college days, but she hasn’t forgotten about her senior campaign in 2024. She said that there are improvements and adjustments she needs to make to every part of her game to be even more successful.
“I am lucky to have a great support system of coaches, including Dustin Harrington who has been my batting instructor since I was 13,” she said. “I also continue to play an intense summer schedule even though I am committed so that I am ready to hit the ground running when I get to the next level.”
Waddell is currently competing for the Fury Platinum X 16U travel softball organization under coach Jimmy Hutchins. The team is based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
She is competing alongside future Charlotte 49er teammates and fellow Class of 2024 athletes Emma Shoemaker (Central High School in Georgia), Brelyn O’Hearn (River Ridge High School in Georgia) and Marian Collins (Mount Paran Christian School in Georgia).
Fury Platinum X concludes its summer schedule with the Alliance Nationals 16U event in Chino Hills, California from July 24 to July 30.
