The Groffs are Back in Town

Rylinn and Maddia Groff ‘23 return to the UNO softball program this season. Original photo source: Omaha World Herald.

By J1 Reporter Reilly O’Brien 

It was a chilly October afternoon in 2022, the leaves were falling and it was so windy spectators needed thick coats and hand warmers. The Marian Crusaders were tied with the Gretna Dragons, the only team to have bested them that season. Maddia Groff sprinted home, getting ready to dive head first into the plate. 

Just when it seemed she was out, a near collision knocked the ball free of the catcher’s mitt. Groff was highly vigilant and hadn’t given up, quickly tagging home plate with her hand. The umpire signaled her as safe, and in an instant Marian softball was back on top, David had beaten Goliath. For Maddia and Rylinn Groff this moment was just the beginning, it fueled the fire for their future and made for an incredible footnote in their story. 

Every moment on the softball field taught the twins something new. “There’s probably not an aspect of my life that softball hasn’t impacted in some way,” Maddia said. Last season at Southern Illinois University Maddia posted a 1.11 earned run average (league average is about 2.50) and even threw the first perfect game in SIU program history. 

“Softball is such a blessing that really teaches you a lot of life lessons,” Rylinn said. Rylinn continued to get on base and serve behind the plate. Softball will always be home for her. 

There was never a doubt that the Groffs would continue their playing careers into college. The recruitment process was fast, beginning on Sept. 1 of their junior year at Marian. After this date, it is really up to the athlete to get themselves in front of college coaches. “You would just kind of hear some camps go to tournaments that were maybe like more showcased, where coaches would come see you or just post like highlight videos on different platforms,” Maddia said. 

Their decision to go to Southern Illinois was important, and it taught them a lot about being college athletes. Maddia also notes the importance of committing junior year “people typically commit earlier rather than waiting, simply because if you wait, it tends to be that coaches will have used up their scholarship money already.” 

Winning state that year at Marian sticks out to them. “State was super cool. That was special,” Rylinn said. That win was the second one in program history, every single girl fought so hard and really learned more about the game and what it means to win. 

Another important accomplishment of their time playing softball came this past season when playing at the University of Southern Illinois. “Winning conference last year, the season as a whole last year, because it was such a grind,” Maddia said. Despite last year’s success, it seemed like destiny the twins would return to Omaha. Homegrown stars are just what the team at UNO needs to propel themselves higher. 

Their return to Omaha was highly covered by sites like Softball America and Omaha.com. Ultimately the decision came down to the coaching staff. “We have a lot of trust in the coaches here at Omaha,” said Rylinn. 

Mike Heard, current head coach at UNO, coached Marian softball to its first state championship back in 2015. Assistant coach Emma Raabe, who graduated from Marian in 2018, was the starting catcher on that same team.

SIU is around 535 miles away from Omaha, this equates to at least an eight hour drive. For this reason, being closer to their parents was important. “They’re able to come watch us a lot more,” Maddia said. Family is obviously important to the twins, and being at UNO ensures they can see their entire family more often than short breaks. 

Looking forward, the sisters hope to take UNO softball to new heights. “I just really want to win the conference, that’s the main goal,” Maddia said. The team is in a good place to get there, with Maddia saying that they “have just as good a shot as anyone else.” UNO softball has certainly started on the right foot, going 9-1 so far. Individually, Maddia has worked hard to show UNO what she is capable of, silencing the bats of the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles on Feb. 16. 

The legacy they hope to leave when their time playing softball ends is simple. “Just growing the game, like more people getting involved in it, and like young girls wanting to do that and grow up and, you know, play in college and do that stuff,” Rylinn said. 

Maddia answered in a similar way, saying “putting Omaha softball on the map.” Both girls plan to continue their goal of growing the game by staying involved by coaching in some kind of D1 college program. From ball girls on the 2015 Marian team, to the starting battery on the 2022 team, to winning the conference, they have done it all together. The softball world is extremely excited to see what they do next.