Faced with a return to the pitcher’s circle after two years off, DePaul’s Morgan Maize turned to one of Chicago’s best for inspiration: Jake Arrieta.
Before joining the Cubs in 2013 and winning the 2015 NL Cy Young Award, Arrieta posted a 5.46 ERA in four seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.
Maize, a Franklin Park native and former Pioneer Press Softball Player of the Year at Leyden, said she read about how Arrieta’s mental toughness helped him elevate his career and applied it to herself.
“Originally I thought it was a joke,” Maize said upon being asked to pitch again, “because they were very nonchalant when they told me. And then I kind of embraced it.”
The rest of the Big East wished she hadn’t.
The senior righthander struck out 173 batters in 203 2/3 innings and had a 3.75 ERA, helping the Blue Demons (27-25, 16-3 Big East) win the regular-season Big East crown. Maize was unanimously selected as the Big East Player of the Year.
“She really did exceed everyone’s expectations (as a pitcher),” DePaul coach Eugene Lenti said. “Obviously, hindsight is 20/20, and we should have kept her pitching the whole time.”
Offensively she was as dominant as usual, finishing with a .384 batting average, .445 on-base percentage, .667 slugging percentage, 10 home runs and 48 RBIs in 52 games.
“Morgan is as versatile of a player as we’ve ever had,” said Lenti, adding that Maize played every position except catcher and outfield. “She really fits into what has become the model DePaul pitcher. The majority of our pitchers … have been excellent hitters as well as good position players.”
After pitching 11 innings as a freshman with a 6.36 ERA and .156 batting average, Lenti said the coaches decided Maize would be better “if the pitching wasn’t there.” Lenti said they had enough arms without Maize the next two seasons but were light for 2016.
“I’m really happy that I had those two years to develop (as a hitter) and then come back at the end of my softball career and give it my all,” Maize said.
On top of that, Maize said she added 3-4 miles per hour on her fastball, reaching 63 mph this season — which she credited to weight training — on top of the changeup she worked on last summer.
Those tools served her well in conference play, but not before some struggles early in the nonconference season.
“Eug and the team were very patient with me learning again,” said Maize, who double-majored in psychology and sociology.
Maize set the tone for the second half of the season by shutting out Villanova in the Big East opener.
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“She saw what she could do against the Big East teams,” Lenti said, “and that really kind of set the table for her.”
Next on Maize’s plate: one year of throwing with the track and field team — something she’s never done — and then a year as a graduate assistant with the softball program. She is pursuing her master’s degree in computer information and network security with eyes on her next goal.
“I want to apply for the FBI,” Maize said.
Mike Nelson is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press