Freshman Madi George, a Leander, Texas, native, tied and broke the single-season home run record for Ole Miss Softball on Sunday, April 19, in game three of the series at No. 15 LSU.
George, with 18 home runs, surpassed Lexie Brady, who formerly set the record with 17 homers in 2025. The Rebels also set the single-season program home run record against Southern Miss on Tuesday, April 21.
“I knew I was pretty close (to the record), and when I hit the first one I knew I tied it,” George said in an interview with The Daily Mississippian. “Then, I was told one more and I’ll break it.”
George spoke about her approach at the plate that day and how she adjusted between at-bats.
“The first home run I hit, they threw me (a high inside pitch), so I was like, ‘I’m definitely not going to get that pitch again,’” George said. “I had to change my plan and approach to sitting that (low outside pitch), because I knew they were going to choose a drop-ball pitcher. I knew she was going to throw that pitch to me, and I was just like, ‘I gotta sink into it and go with it.’”
George hit her 17th home run of the season in the top of the first inning on Sunday. The ball traveled 290 feet and gave the Rebels an early 2-0 lead. In the top of the fourth, George homered again to set the new record.
Despite this record-breaking performance by George, Ole Miss lost, 8-5.
George has been an impact player all season for Ole Miss. Alongside her 20 home runs, she leads the team with 50 RBIs and a .394 batting average. She is second on the team in hits with 56.
“I’m really blessed. I wouldn’t have thought I would be here today, being in the four-hole spot, having my starting spot on the field,” George said. “I would not have thought of that coming into my freshman year because I thought I was going to be riding the bench the whole time.”
George hit her first collegiate homer against CSUN on Feb. 6. She hit two home runs to set the Ole Miss single-season home run record by a freshman on Tuesday, April 14, against North Alabama.
“I actually didn’t know that I broke the freshman record. I didn’t even know that was a thing. I thought it was just the overall record,” George said.
Cassie Reasner’s 3-run shot in the first inning against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles was the Rebels’ 68th home run of the season, surpassing the previous record of 67.
“When (softball head coach) Jamie (Trachsel) told us that we tied (the record) … honestly, none of us were really thinking about it because we were just like, ‘We’ve just got to play the game we know. We’ve just got to play the sport that we love,’” George said.
In addition to George’s pair of homers, Laylonna Applin also hit one over the fence in the 12-5 win. On the season, the Rebels have 71 homers.
Reasner is second on the team in homers with 11, while Persy Llamas, Mackenzie Pickens and Kennedy Bunker are all tied for third with eight apiece.
With her two homers against Southern Miss, George now has 20 on the season, good for third in the SEC. She hit seven homers before SEC play began and has hit six homers during conference play.
With six games left, George and the Rebels will look to extend their records and finish the season strongly through their tough remaining slate of SEC games.
For George, her freshman campaign is just the beginning of her legacy.
“Honestly, this is just the beginning,” George said. “It’s just making me want to work harder in the future as well. (It makes) me want to break my record over and over again throughout the years.”
