Southern Arkansas University Athletics

If you tried to sum up the Southern Arkansas Softball career of Maddie (Dow) Ray, you would most likely use phrases such as "immediate impact" and "lasting legacy." But that still might not do her time as a Mulerider justice.
 
A native of Bonham, Texas, Dow's journey in Magnolia began as a true freshman in 2014. In a season that saw Southern Arkansas capture the program's first conference tournament championship and earn its first-ever NCAA regional tournament bid, it was the collegiate rookie Dow who led the offensive charge by hitting 21 home runs and accounting for 61 RBI; both of which at the time were SAU and Great American Conference single season records.
 
That was just the beginning for Dow as the first baseman/designated player's prowess at the plate led to her becoming one of the most feared hitters that Division II softball has ever seen. Dow's final season as a Mulerider resulted in her being named the GAC's first-ever consensus first team All-America selection, with top honors from the D2CCA and NFCA, following a 64-game season that produced a .423 average and 71 hits with 35 going for extra bases which included 22 home runs. She added 61 RBI and scored 66 times, while drawing twice as many walks (54) as strikeouts (27) with an additional 24 hit-by-pitch to post a hefty .598 on-base percentage. She garnered 2017 GAC Player of the Year honors and was the conference's 2016-17 Female Athlete of the Year.
 
Individually, Dow, who was a four-time all-region honoree, concluded her illustrious career at the top of a dozen career statistical records at Southern Arkansas including batting average (.363), on-base percentage (.522), hits (244), home runs (74 – 7th All-Time Division II), RBIs (224), walks (175 – 5th All-Time Division II) and total bases (502). That production helped lead Southern Arkansas to 162 wins in four seasons, two GAC Tournament titles with Dow garnering MVP honors in 2016, two NCAA regional tournament appearances, the 2016 NCAA Central Region title and the program's first-ever NCAA DII World Series berth in 2016.  
 
With that kind of power there were undoubtedly several big swings throughout her career in Magnolia. However, two of her finest came during her junior season of 2016. Down 2-1 in the seventh and needing to force the "if-necessary" game against Harding in the conference tournament, Dow launched a walk off, two-run shot out to right field to give SAU a 3-2 win and send them to a winner-take-all final which SAU would claim 7-0. Eleven days later, with the Muleriders on the brink of a historic Central Region title, Dow lifted a 2-1 pitch, which some in attendance described as going a "mile high", to straightaway center field to cushion a four-run fifth inning against Arkansas Tech in game two of the Central Super Regional. Two innings later, SAU punched its World Series ticket.
 
A three-time all-conference performer with a pair of first team accolades, a five-time GAC Player of the Week with national honors as a senior and the aforementioned honors bestowed during her senior season, Dow's impact on the conference was never more evident than in January of 2020 when she became one of three Muleriders honored on the Great American Conference's All-Decade Team as a designated player.
 
As dominant as she was on the field, she was just as, if not more, impressive in the classroom. A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team honoree with two Academic All-District 7 First Team distinctions, Dow received the highest academic honor an NCAA Division II softball player can earn. She was named the 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year. Additionally, Dow earned three Academic All-GAC honors and two GAC Crafton Tull Distinguished Scholar Athlete awards.