1 / 6

Lehi's Maddux Madsen delivers a pitch against Olympus in Game 2 of the best-of-three 5A state championship series at UCCU Ballpark in 2022.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

2 / 6

Lehi pitcher Maddux Madsen flips the ball to first base in the 5A baseball state championships against Olympus at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 28, 2022.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

3 / 6

Lehi's Maddux Madsen holds up the 5A baseball state championship trophy at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 28, 2022.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

4 / 6

Lehi's Maddux Madsen delivers a pitch against Olympus in the 5A baseball state championships at UCCU Ballpark on Saturday, May 28, 2022.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

5 / 6

Lehi catcher Maddux Madsen looks for the ball after it hit a Maple Mountain batter during a 5A baseball state tournament game at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Saturday, May 23, 2022.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

6 / 6

American Fork quarterback Maddux Madsen (4) scrambles in the second half against the West High Panthers on Friday, August 28, 2020, in American Fork. The Cavemen won 43-19. (Jay Drowns, Special to the Herald)

Jay Drowns

❮ ❯

Former Utah Valley University baseball coach Eric Madsen named his sons after major league legends: Mick, Maddux, McGwire, Mays and Murphy, which made them pretty much destined to play the sport. Eric also named his daughter, Macee Jo, after Joe DiMaggio.

So, naturally, Maddux Madsen is going to play football for Boise State next year.

It’s not as if he neglected his baseball skills, though. This spring, Madsen was a key member of Lehi’s first baseball state championship since 1981.

For his efforts, Maddux Madsen is the Daily Herald Prep Baseball Player of the Year for 2022, becoming the second Madsen to win the award after older brother Mick claimed the prize in 2016.

“It was a dream season, really,” Maddux Madsen said. “There’s not a single other way I’d rather send off all of our seniors.”

Maddux “Mad Dog” Madsen was a prolific All-State quarterback at American Fork, throwing for more than 10,000 yards and 130 touchdowns as a three-year starter for the Cavemen. He won a 6A baseball state championship as a junior with American Fork but his family moved to Lehi in the winter of 2022, making him a Pioneer. Ironically, he would play for Jason Ingersoll, younger brother of AF baseball coach Jarod Ingersoll.

“I thought about Jason and all the time he’s put into the Lehi program, how he slowly built it up,” Maddux Madsen said. “He says all the time that he just loves baseball. He and Jarod are two of the nicest guys on the planet.”

As a senior, Maddux Madsen put up some truly awesome numbers. He led the Pioneers with a .455 batting average, totaling 42 hits and 40 RBI with 13 doubles, three triples and three home runs. As a pitcher he was 8-2 with a 3.42 ERA and 74 strikeouts. Madsen paced the Pioneers with 137 put outs as a catcher, committing only one error for a .993 fielding percentage.

“He has that leadership and vision of a quarterback,” Jason Ingersoll said. “He was such a good example to his teammates. He was always in the weight room, taking extra swings and working on his game. The biggest thing is he elevated everybody.”

Madsen pitched his team to a 5-1 win against Bountiful in the 5A state quarterfinals and Jason Ingersoll handed him the ball in the clinching Game 2 of the Pioneers’ best-of-three 5A championship series against Olympus.

Madsen battled Titans star Ashton Johnson pitch-for-pitch until both players reached the 110-pitch limit. Madsen scattered six hits, allowed two earned runs and struck out six while Johnson also gave up six hits and three earned runs while fanning five.

“I was hanging on, for sure,” Madsen said. “I’d spent the whole week in the training room. My arm was tired but there was no way I was going out with a loss. My dad always says you’re not done until your heart stops.”

Madsen’s teammates and two closest friends picked him up. Zach Evans pitched a scoreless inning in relief, then drove in Wack Christensen with the winning run in the eighth inning of a 4-3 Lehi victory.

Madsen said his favorite moment was bringing the state championship trophy to the hundreds of Lehi fans which filled much of UCCU Ballpark to celebrate.

“It was crazy, seeing so many people at that park,” he said. “It was just unreal and I get chills talking about it. We made a dog pile at the mound and every single soul from Lehi was on their feet cheering. It was such a special experience to win it for Lehi.”

Maddux Madsen said another big moment was sharing the whole championship run with his younger brothers on the team, McGwire and Mays.

“It was cool to watch them be able to experience the same thing and I was right there with them,” he said.

The Madsens just returned for a cruise to the Bahamas and Maddux will report to Boise for his next adventure on June 25.

“The Boise State coaches were so honest with me,” he said. “Recruiting is crazy and super stressful. It was cool to see the love they have for their players. It’s going to be something special.”

Newsletter