Pike County HIgh senior Laken Maulden is no stranger to success on the softball field. In March, she will sign a scholarship to play at the collegiate level.

“It’s very exciting,” Maulden said of her commitment to Spring Hill College in Mobile. “It says to me that I have done a lot on the field. I got my foot in the door and now I just have to do my best and show Pike County that I have worked hard for this.”

Maulden said she knew from her first visit that Spring Hill was the right choice.

“I love the campus,” Maulden said. “The first time I went there for a softball tryout I loved it. It’s so beautiful there and the people are so welcoming. The coach was really sweet and she was willing to work with me.”

Maulden is going on academic scholarship.

When she wasn’t on the field, Maulden aimed to be the best student she could be. Her drive to get all A’s and a high score on her ACT’s helped her to achieve a dream of signing a scholarship.

Maulden’s leadership and work ethic set her apart from her teammates. “Very few times in a coach’s career can they truly say they coached a true leader and a model of leadership,” said Bulldogs head coach Fawn Sims. “Laken is it. I can leave her with a group of my catchers and say ‘go do drill work’ and it’s done. She is like another coach on the field, and that is what a leader should be.”

As the only senior on the team, Maulden tries to set an example for the younger players.

“It’s really important to me to be a leader.” Maulden said. “Especially because I am a senior. I have grown up watching other leaders and seeing what they did as example of leadership.”

This year, Maulden will be tasked with helping to mold a young roster into a successful team.

“We are very young,” Maulden said. “I want to help them get to where they need to be in the upcoming year when I am no longer here.”

And she plans to use this year to continue to improve her skills on the field.

“I want all of us to get better at our positions,” Maulden said. “I can do better as a catcher, and I can do better wherever she puts me.”