Missouri State

KATE MADDED
Softball, 1993-96
Inducted 2009

Kate Madden sparked the softball Bears with her glove, her arm, her bat and her legs for four seasons for coach Holly Hesse from 1993 to 1996. A native of Aurora, Colo., Madden was a pitcher-outfielder who saw her numbers improve throughout her career, capped by a brilliant senior season in which she helped lead Missouri State to an MVC tournament title and an appearance in the NCAA tournament. When Madden was a sophomore, the Bears went 38-13 in one of the best seasons in school history and they just missed an NCAA bid with a loss in the finals of the league tourney. Madden's 1996 season saw her achieve the unique feat of winning the Most Valuable Player Award for both the MVC regular season race and the postseason conference tournament. Madden that year led the team and league in batting at .450 and set Missouri State season records in six offensive categories. She also posted a 15-9 pitching mark that year, and her 42 mound victories and 523 innings pitched both ranked third on MSU career lists at the time she graduated. She played professional softball for two years, and, after a successful college softball coaching career, Madden now works as a paralegal in Chicago, Ill.