Shore Sports Insider 2025 Softball Pitcher of the Year: Madison McDougall

2025 Shore Sports Insider Pitcher of the Year

 

Madison McDougall, St. John Vianney

 

The Shore Conference is loaded with elite pitchers. In Class A North alone, there are five pitchers who made the All-Shore teams. Only one pitcher was able to do what no other pitcher in the Shore Conference could, which was have an ERA under 1.00 and that was what Madison McDougall from St. John Vianney did for the second straight season on her way to being named SSI Pitcher of the Year. 

 

McDougall ranked in the top ten across all major pitching categories this season, but it was her  0.98 ERA that stood out as the best in the Shore Conference. Competing in Class A North, which is considered one of the toughest divisions in New Jersey, McDougall faced a grueling schedule. During the regular season, she went up against four teams ranked in the Shore Conference Top 10 twice, showcasing her dominance against the Shore’s best. 

 

“Madison wasn’t just dominating average lineups, she was consistently shutting down some of the toughest bats in the state,” SJV coach Kim Lombardi-McDougall said. “Madison tends to pitch better against stronger competition. She has great ability to execute under pressure. She is just a gamer! She loves the game of softball and she has very few off days because of how hard she has worked her entire life with pitching. To keep an ERA that low across an entire season, against that caliber of opponents, says everything you need to know about her command, her mental toughness, and her place among the state’s best pitchers.”

 

She also finished tied for first in the Shore Conference with 18 wins and fourth in strikeouts with 216, but one of her best statistical accomplishments was finishing the season allowing only 20 walks. McDougall has lowered her walks every season since her freshman year which has helped SJV continue to be one of the most successful programs in New Jersey

 

“One of the most underrated but crucial stats in softball is walks and Madison allowing just 20 all season gave the team a major advantage every time we played a game,” Lombardi-McDougall said. “Limiting free passes means fewer base runners, less pressure on the defense, and more of a chance to win the game. For anyone who plays in a high-powered division, that kind of consistency is having a true pitcher on the mound. Madison’s ability to stay in the strike zone and challenge hitters forces opponents to earn everything, and it keeps innings clean and pitch counts low. It’s not just about strikeouts, it’s about smart, efficient pitching, and Madison’s low walk total really shows her focus and dedication to her role as a pitcher on the SJV team.”

 

One thing that McDougall does as well as anyone is to reset after a bad inning or bad game. Pitchers need to have a short-term memory and be able to focus on the batter in the box. Besides being able to block out a bad pitch or a bad inning, pitchers must also to block a missed call by an umpire.

 

“The thing that impresses me the most isn’t just her talent, it’s her resilience,” Lombardi-McDougall said. “Whether a batter squares one up or she has a rare off game, Madison has an elite ability to reset, refocus, and come back stronger. She actually gets stronger when people are on base.  She never lets one moment define her. If a hitter gets a good at-bat, she adjusts. If a game doesn’t go her way, she uses it as fuel. That mental toughness-being able to shake it off and come out the next game locked in and dominant-is what separates good pitchers from great ones. Having her on the mound is like having another coach on the field.”

 

McDougall had 13 games where she did not allow an earned run, and she struck out over 10 batters in 14 games. Not only was her strikeout rate (11.81 per 7 innings) in the top ten in the conference she had 10.8:1 strikeout to walk ratio. 

 

Only a junior, McDougall has already achieved so much in her career. She was named NJ Gatorade Player of the Year as a sophomore. She played a big part not just on the mound but also at the plate in the Lancers Shore Conference Tournament win and Non-Public A state title win in 2024. The Monmouth University commit just came off her second straight season with an ERA under 1.00 and her third season with over 200 strikeouts. 

“Madison is the kind of teammate every coach dreams of and every player wants beside them,” Lombardi-McDougall said.  “She leads by example with her work ethic, her composure, and her support of the team. Whether she’s in the circle or in the dugout, she’s locked in, encouraging her teammates and staying fully engaged in the game. She never makes it about herself; it’s always about the team’s success. She celebrates others’ accomplishments, picks people up after tough moments, and brings a steady, positive presence to everything she does.”