Madick has proven her prowess as a ballplayer early, with a tremendous home opener performance against Rhode Island on Tuesday in which she fanned 12 batters.

“It’s like the first time all season that I feel like I’ve come out and shut people down in terms of striking out the batters,” Madick said.

Her total of 21 strikeouts leads all Crimson pitchers.

OCHO

Amanda Watkins, known to most as “A-Wat” or “Ocho,” is poised to immediately bolster Harvard’s rotation.

The righty from Placentia, Calif., along with Madick, hopes to fill the gap left by the loss of co-Ivy League Pitcher of the Year Kara Brotemarkle ’04 on the hill for the Crimson.

While Watkins has been less than perfect so far this season—her ERA is hovering at 5.51—she clearly possesses the stuff to excel at the college level, most notably a stellar changeup.

“Every girl who plays in college is here for a reason,” Watkins said. “Everyone has a specific skill that they’re here for.”

Watkins came to Harvard with big-game potential, having thrown a perfect game for her El Dorado High School against rival Tustin in May 2004. More recently, she tossed a one-run complete game against Drexel on March 31 as the Crimson snapped a nine-game losing streak.

Her early importance to the team can be seen in her stat line, as she leads the pitchers in starts (5), appearances (9), and innings pitched (25.2).

KERP’S PERKS

Rounding out the “Tripod” is Danielle Kerper, who has quickly made a name for herself as one of the most promising young hitters in the Ivy League.

She leads Harvard in RBI with 10­—the next closest hitter has two. Kerper is also the team leader in slugging percentage (.531), home runs (2), and total bases (17) after 14 games.

To complement Watkins’ complete game against Drexel, Kerper went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a triple, and launched a first-inning grand slam against Providence the day before.

So what should opposing pitchers avoid throwing her way?