Richard Pollitt|The Daily Times
Maggie Cannon and Andrew Smith couldn’t help but smile as they signed their names to their national letters of intent on Monday afternoon.
Many yearsof practice, training and overall preparation paid off as Cannon, a pitcher for the Parkside softball team, committed to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Smith, a pitcher and catcher for the Rams’ baseball team, signed on with Towson University.
Both schools are a member of the NCAA's Division I.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity, and I’m thankful that I can play the next four years in college and continue this journey,” Cannon said.
Cannon has compiled a large list of accolades throughout her time with Parkside, racking up Bayside Conference Player of the Year awards in both 2016 and 2017, while also being named to the conference’s first team her sophom*ore and junior seasons.
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The Rams’ shutdown pitcher was a core piece in Parkside'ssuccess last season. During her time in the circle in 2017, Cannon finished with seven total shutoutsand helped lead her team to the MPSSAA 2A East playoffs.
Wanting to go somewhere she could continue to win, the Parkside senior knew as soon as she stepped ontothe campus of UNC-Charlotte that she had finally found her home for the next four years.
“The coaches were really welcoming, so that helped, and the campus was beautiful and big, and that’s what I wanted to be at,” Cannon said.
But Cannon’s talent and skills will not be the only things that makeher a dominant college pitcher in the eyes of her current head coach, Paul Simon.
As someone who’s worked with Cannon one on one in the last few years, Simon says his pitcher’s ability to be a good teammate and take in information will be what makes Cannon great.
“She arrived here at high school already performing at unbelievable depths,” Simon said. “She leads by example, a fierce competitor, and she’s exactly what you want in a player. As far as her talents are concerned, every aspect of the game, she’s talented.”
While she is primarily regarded as a pitcher, Cannon has also been a threat at the plate, nailing the ball over the fence throughout her time with Parkside.
In her final season with the Rams, Cannon is hoping to improve her hitting skills, with a set number in place of how many homers she hopes to tally.
“My goal was to hit 40 this year — I’ve hit 23 so far, so my goal is to hit 20 more,” Cannon said.
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As she makes the transition from high school to college athlete inthe next year, Cannon will face several changes she hasn’t seen during her time atParkside.
But the thing she’s looking forward to the most away from the fieldis turning on the TV and seeing her highlights flash across the screen.
“I think that would be fun, seeing myself and having my family watching me having the gear and being on a DI softball team,” Cannon said.
Bound for Towson
As Cannon looks for one more solid season with Parkside, Smith will also be busy making his impact felt behind the plate and on the mound for the Rams.
A catcher and pitcher, Smith was a Bayside Conference First Team selection both his sophom*ore and junior seasons. A leader on the squad, Smith was a threat on offense and defense, sending numerous balls over the fence, while also tagging out opposing batters at the plate.
During his sophom*ore season, Smith shared the field with his brother Matt, who was named the 2016 Bayside Player of the Year before continuing his career with Towson.
Having a close relationship with his brother, Smith was able to get an inside scoop on what Towson’s baseball program had to offer.
“We’ve played together all our lives, and he was always pushing me to get better, so getting to play with him was a bonus,” Smith said. “He wanted me to make the decision about where I wanted to go and not focus on what other people wanted.”
During his time on Parkside’s varsity squad, Smith was coached by longtime Ramscoach Brian Hollamon. But Hollamon is now the head man for the UMES baseball team, giving the Parkside senior a new coach to call the plays from the dugout in his final season.
Junior varsity coach Kyle Daubert was named the new coach in October, and although the 2018 season will be his first as a varsity coach, Daubert has been with Smith from the beginning, and expresseda sense of pride and happiness as he watched his player sign the letter of commitment.
“It’s exciting for anybody to go off to school to play the sport they love and enjoy doing,” Daubert said. “A lot of kids say they want to go and do it, but not many do, so I’m very excited and happy for him.”
Smith is expected to take on more of a leadership role in his final year, given his experience, success and background in multiple sports.
The Parkside catcher is also the quarterback for the school’s varsity football team, making the leadership role a natural fit for Smith.
“Playing football helped me get stronger and make me a better athlete, but it also helped make me a better leader,” Smith said.
But regardless of how the 2018 season plays out, the duo hopes to cherish the time they have left with their teams.
While they will go their separate ways come graduation, both Cannon and Smith don’t expect to soon forget where they got their start.
But in the moment their pens hit the paper, both players said they were overcome by excitement and relief.
“All the hard work I’ve put in to get to this position ... it’s amazing just to finally be here,” Smith said.
