“Being a hitter in this league is no easy feat”, Maya Brady Locked In as Talons Chase Title
A Perfectly Timed Return for Brady
Did you ever show up late to participate in a group project, and receive the A+ grade as if you were there all along? That is how Maya Brady describes the way she feels after joining the Talons lineup over the last six games.
Maya may have come in late, after time on the injured list, but her immediate impact has given fans a show and the opposition nightmares.
In six games, Brady has slashed .647/.727/.882 with one home run, five RBIs, five runs scored, and 15 total bases.
A Spark When the Talons Needed It Most
Brady couldn’t have shown up at a better time. She’s been a lightning rod for the Talons, who now need to win two out of a possible three games to claim the inaugural AUSL Championship. Brady has all the tools and mental focus to help lead that push.
So in Friday’s media availability over Zoom, I asked Maya about her immediate impact and what it feels like to step into this role so quickly.
“It’s like being in a group project, and you do no work. Then you come in at the end on presentation day, like I’m here and I’m going to get the grade.”
Brady may feel that way, but if the Talons win it all, she will have done plenty to earn her spot in the celebration. She also showed how humble and grateful she is to be with this team.
“I feel like for me, I am so blessed to be on this team because we are the perfect mix of veterans, but also that young spirit with the rookies of excitement.”
Championship Chemistry
That’s one of the great things about this league. Across all four teams, there’s a strong balance of experienced veterans and eager young players. The Talons have shown all season their chemistry, collective effort, and shared vision to reach the ultimate goal.
They enter the Championship Series with an 18-6 record and have scored 122 runs this season. That’s 30 fewer than the Bandits, who have plated 152.
Staying Ready Without Game Action
How did Brady stay so sharp after time away? Many players take time to settle back in, but not her. I asked how she kept herself ready, and it turns out it was more mental than physical.
“For me, I think being more mentally prepared was more important than being physically prepared. I think being a hitter in this league is no easy feat. The pitching is absolutely elite,” said Brady.
“So for me, it was just being more mentally ready. Whether that was in the dugout timing up pitchers, even though I wasn’t going in the game, or being involved in the film sessions, just being able to visualize my at-bats and think about what I would do in that situation, and kind of just trying to stay locked in as best as I possibly can.”
One More Test
The Talons come into the Championship Series with home field advantage and will see Lexi Kilfoyl in game one. Kilfoyl has been solid all season, posting a 6-1 record with a 2.35 ERA and holding opponents to a .266 batting average.
The million dollar question for this series is what will win out, elite hitting or elite pitching?
Corrick and Palacios: Ahead of the Hitters
The mention of elite pitching brings me to Georgina Corrick. Corrick has been elite in every sense of the word.
Georgina Corrick, the AUSL Pitcher of the Year, boasts a perfect 6-0 record, a 2.04 ERA, a .202 opponent batting average, and 27 strikeouts across 34.1 innings pitched.
Corrick has been a big part of the Talons’ chess board that dials up great pitching. I asked her how she continues to succeed after seeing the same hitters repeatedly. A huge part of the credit, she said, goes to her catcher, Sharlize Palacios.
“I have to give a lot of credit to Sharlize Palacios behind the plate. I think she’s doing a great job of playing that kind of like psychological game with batters where it’s like they know what she would go in that moment and she knows what she would go in that moment so she almost has to change it up in that way.”
Palacios has been excellent behind the plate. Pitchers often get the credit for putting on masterpieces, but the one who calls the pitches and sets up the hitters is a very underrated part of the puzzle.
Corrick wrapped up her breakdown by explaining how the duo stays one step ahead.
“I think when you get the kind of power that you’ve got behind the bat of a Maya Brady or against any of these great hitters in this league, you have to try and keep their timing off and keep them guessing because as soon as they can swing confidently, they’re gonna hit the ball hard.”
“So our job is to get in the minds of batters, whether it is through pitch sequencing, whether it’s through tunneling, whether it’s utilizing your defense and knowing you want to throw as few pitches as possible, whatever your style is for that day.”
“I think we’ve leaned really heavily into it, and then we’ve had to adjust that style of play with batters, as they started to make adjustments, as opposed to adjusting what pitches you’re throwing in and what counts. So I give her a lot of props for that because she’s done a great job. And then I just have to execute her philosophy and then give in where I can.”
Buckle Up
The Bandits have the most potent offense in the league. In eight games against the Talons, they’ve averaged 5.63 runs per game.
The last time Corrick saw the Bandits, she ultimately got the win, but a tough fifth inning forced her exit after six earned runs. She returned in the eighth and finished it off as the Talons won in extras on an Ali Aguilar walk-off RBI double, 8-7.
If this series is anything like the regular season, buckle up. It should be a fun time in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Follow Fastpitch Wire as I will be in Tuscaloosa for the Championship Series, bringing you coverage. Find Fastpitch Wire on Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram.
