The CT Softball Blog

MILFORD—There was a time when Maddie Deldin wasn’t sure if Merrimack College was going to be part of her future.

The Foran High School senior first baseman certainly hoped it would be. She had fallen in love with the Massachusetts school, its campus and the opportunity to continue playing the game that had been such a big part of her life.

But the recruiting process, as Deldin discovered, doesn’t always follow the path a player hopes it will.

There were coaching changes, unanswered emails and moments of discouragement. There were other schools to contact, camps to attend and the uncertainty that comes with trying to find the right place to spend the next four years.

Through it all, however, Deldin refused to give up on Merrimack.

And now she’s going to be a Warrior.

Deldin recently announced her commitment to Merrimack earlier this year, becoming one of five members of Foran’s talented senior class who will continue their softball careers at the collegiate level.

She joins Ariella Diorio (Wesleyan), Nyla Jaser (Wheaton), Caroline Collen (Nichols) and Norah Bove (Suffolk) as Lions headed off to college after this final season at Foran.

Head coach Gina Georgetti says “The Foran Five” is a special group whose contributions extend well beyond wins and championships.

“The Foran Five has put so much heart and dedication into the program,” Georgetti said. “Every year, they have made this team better and better and not just athletically. They care about their teammates and are always lending a helping hand in practice and in school.”

For Deldin, the decision was about more than softball.

“I chose Merrimack because I fell in love with the campus as soon as I stepped on because it reminded me a lot of my home, which is Milford,” Deldin said.

She was equally impressed by new head coach Jill Gagnon, a 2009 Merrimack graduate, and her vision for the program.

“Overall it was just an environment that contained a lot of core values that I also believe in as a player,” Deldin said.

Getting there, however, required some patience.

Deldin’s recruiting journey with Merrimack began Sept. 1, 2025, when then-assistant coach Rob Andersen contacted her about arranging a phone call and campus visit.

Within days, everything changed.

The program’s head coach was leaving, as was Andersen, leaving Deldin wondering whether the opportunity she had been so excited about would disappear.

She continued reaching out to other schools and attending camps, but the process began taking an emotional toll.

“I was feeling discouraged because I wasn’t getting as much interest from other schools as I wanted,” she admitted.

When Merrimack hired Gagnon in late November, Deldin decided to give the school another shot.

She introduced herself to the new coach and continued sending emails and updates throughout the year, even when responses were few and far between.

She wasn’t ready to cross Merrimack off her list.

Then, in July, her travel coach at Softball University delivered some welcome news.

Gagnon and Merrimack were still interested.

“Which was the greatest news I could have ever received at that moment,” Deldin said.

She finally met Gagnon and new assistant coach Alyssa DiMauro at a summer tournament, and the connection was immediate.

“I instantly knew that I wanted to end up with them,” she said.

An official visit followed, then an offer. Within a couple of weeks, Deldin had made her decision.

The recruiting roller coaster was finally over.

For a player who admits she sometimes put too much pressure on herself, knowing where she will be playing next year has provided a welcome sense of relief.

“It felt amazing to commit before my senior season, because it has allowed me to enjoy my last year of high school without the additional stress of not knowing where I was going to college,” Deldin said.

It also means more time with friends and family, more school activities and fewer weekends spent traveling to camps and tournaments.

And, perhaps most importantly, the opportunity to simply enjoy one final season wearing a Foran uniform.

Deldin and her teammates have already been part of something special. The Lions have won back-to-back state Class M championships and will enter the spring chasing a third consecutive title.

Deldin hopes to contribute to another championship run without the burden of feeling she needs to be perfect every time she steps onto the field.

That’s something she’s learned over the years, particularly through her experiences playing travel softball.

Her introduction to the sport actually came through baseball when she was about 8 years old. She switched to softball at 11 and quickly became fascinated with the speed and competitiveness of the game.

She began playing travel softball with the Milford-based CT Barracudas at 12U before joining Softball U during the summer following her freshman year.

There, coaches helped develop more than her physical skills. They taught her accountability, confidence and the importance of maintaining perspective when things weren’t going well.

“They taught me how to hold myself accountable on the field by being a positive influence for my teammates and for myself as well,” Deldin said.

Perhaps the most important lesson was understanding that one difficult game doesn’t define a player.

That mindset has helped Deldin become part of a Foran senior class that has left quite an impression on the program.

For Georgetti, watching the five develop into young women ready for the next chapter of their lives has been particularly rewarding.

“I knew that no matter where they decided to go, they will be successful because of who they are as people,” she said. “I hate to think of the program without them but they have left a lasting impression on their teammates, coaches and the program itself.”

At Merrimack, Deldin hopes to contribute both offensively and defensively, whether at first base or in the outfield. She also has her sights set on helping the Warriors compete for a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship.

Away from softball, the three-sport athlete, who also plays volleyball and basketball for the Lions, plans to major in exercise science with the eventual goal of becoming a physical therapist.

But that’s next year.

For now, Deldin has one more spring at Foran, one more opportunity to compete alongside the teammates who have helped make her high school career so memorable.

Her goals are simple: Make a run in the SCC tournament, chase another state championship and appreciate the moments that remain.

After spending so much time wondering what her future might hold, Deldin can finally focus on the present.

And for a senior with two state championship rings and one final season ahead of her, that’s a pretty good place to be.

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