OMAHA (KMTV) — Pitchers and catchers have to be on the same page during a game, and two Omaha softball players have a huge advantage in that department.
They share a love of competition—in fact they've shared their whole lives—and it gives them an edge on the field.
Watch Kelsey's story:
- Twin sisters Maddia and Rylinn Groff transferred to Omaha this season to play softball; Maddia pitches and Rylinn catches.
- Their connection off the field plays a role during games - sometimes they don't even have to talk to know what the other is thinking.
- Rylinn calls all of Maddia's pitches, which is normally a coach's role. Mavs head coach Mike Heard trusts them with that responsibility.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A bond that started before they were born.
"Playing with Maddia is like one of my favorite things I've ever done," Omaha softball catcher Rylinn Groff said. "We're just so lucky that we've gotten to do it for so long."
Twin sisters Maddia and Rylinn Groff back in Omaha after playing their first year of college ball at Southern Illinois.
"We've experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows and we've done it together," Maddia, who pitches for the Mavs, said. "So there's something special about being with the same person through all of that."
They found a love for softball early.
By middle school, they knew it was their sport.
Maddia in the circle; Rylinn behind the plate.
"Who picked their position first? Was it Rylinn or was it Maddia?" KMTV sports reporter Kelsey Mannix asked.
"Well we both kind of started out pitching a little, and I quickly learned that was not for me," Rylinn said. "And I was like 'alright I want to catch.'"
"You can tell that that dynamic has been evolving ever since they were about 8-9 years old," Omaha softball coach Mike Heard said. "It's very obvious when you watch them play how comfortable they are."
Heard knew he was getting competitors when they committed.
"With Maddia it's just her demeanor as a pitcher," he said. "She never gets too high, she never gets too low. She's always very composed."
With Rylinn…
"She has a lot of grit and toughness behind the plate," Heard said. "That's what you need at that position."
Grit and softball IQ.
Rylinn calls all of Maddia's pitches.
"We don't necessarily have to use words to talk," Maddia said. "Like sometimes a certain look or like a gesture we'll kind of know what each other's thinking."
"I don't know if I'd call it telepathy but it's something," Rylinn said.
That connection brings a sense of confidence and comfort in high pressure moments.
"She's just like a constant presence there so I always know that no matter what I'm going to have my person behind the plate," Maddia said.
Maddia and Rylinn are no strangers to success; they won a state title in 2022 at Marian High School.
Now they're hoping to lead the Mavs to a third straight Summit League tournament title and NCAA tournament berth.
