Holzer twins power Walden Grove softball as elite pitcher-catcher duo

For the twin sisters, it’s never mattered much who was “first” or who was older. 

Since that spring day in 2008, they have remained inseparable.

The two act as a unit in almost everything they do, including playing softball together, which they’ve done for almost a decade.

Now, as they finish up their senior year at Walden Grove High School in Sahuarita, the sisters are the core of the varsity team as a pitcher-catcher tandem.

Maddie Holzer is a right-handed pitcher and shortstop for the Red Wolves, while Natalie Holzer plays catcher. There’s no one else they’d rather be pitching and catching with.

“Obviously, with sibling relationships, you're gonna bicker,” Natalie Holzer says. “We have that bickering, but at the end of the day, I have a bond with her that I can't get anywhere else. So it almost feels like a leg up and an advantage, because there's somebody here that I know has my back no matter what. Ride or die. And you can't get that, as hard as you try to find that in with somebody else, you can't. It's just naturally given and I think that's a really good advantage to have on the field.” 

Her sister agrees.

“She definitely is the hardest person on me besides myself,” Maddie Holzer says. “I don't think I've ever pitched to a catcher that has yelled at me as much. I know it sounds bad, but from an athlete's perspective, you just know it's good because she knows I can do better. She expects me to do better, and the fact that she's yelling at me means that she cares and that she knows I can (be better). 

“And then when we're struggling, or our field is making errors, which is a normal thing in the game, I just know she can ground me. She can center me a little bit and beat my frustration of like I'm doing what I'm supposed to and it's not working and she's always there to be like, ‘It's OK, just keep doing what you're doing. This team has your back.’”

The team as a whole, especially the twins, has stuck by each other's side through the high and low points. Just take Walden Grove’s current season, for example.

The Red Wolves are having a back-and-forth year, with a slower start, followed by big back-to-back wins (18-0, 19-0) at Sahuaro in the middle of the season.

Walden Grove (7-6 overall) dropped its rivalry game against Sahuarita High School last week, 7-1, but bounced back two days later against Mesa Eastmark, 10-4.

The team faces a tough slate to finish out the season, including taking on Ironwood Ridge twice, Mica Mountain and Sunnyside.

“I'm just excited to see how we do against these teams coming up every year,” Natalie Holzer says. “I'm excited to see how we do against the teams and see how much we've improved, see what we need to work on.”

“Next week is going to be probably our hardest week,” Maddie Holzer added.

But the sisters aren’t strangers to challenges when it comes to competitive softball. 

They’ve faced both mental and physical challenges that they’ve had to overcome throughout the years. Maddie Holzer says she’s never played in a postseason game with the Red Wolves due to a “bad track record” with injuries, including a torn ACL and multiple broken bones.

She’s hoping that changes this year.

It’s also been tough rebuilding the team chemistry after a core part of the team graduated last year, she says.

“On the field, we're doing good,” Maddie Holzer says. “Obviously, we’ve had a couple of games where we're like, ‘Oh crap. That is not our best potential,’ but I don't think I've ever seen it transfer after the next practice. We're always pushing ourselves and trying our hardest at practice, and sometimes it doesn't correlate to the game, which is completely fine. … I know that we all try our hardest. … I think we have a really strong pitching staff. We have a really strong infield. We have a really strong catcher over here. So, I think we didn’t have a winning season at the beginning, but I, for sure, have all the faith that we're going to turn it around.”

It’s safe to say the sisters continue to leave their mark on the Walden Grove softball program. 

As a pitcher, Maddie Holzer has recorded 86 strikeouts (and counting) in the last two seasons, according to MaxPreps. 

While younger sister Natalie Holzer currently leads the team in home runs (two), RBIs (17), doubles (five) and triples (2two. She also has a .991 fielding percentage and is slugging .698.

Walden Grove head softball coach Rene Valdez says coaching the sisters has been “really awesome,” citing the girls’ experience with playing high-level club softball outside of school.

“As freshmen, they came in and made an immediate impact,” he says. “And when you’re talking about sisters who are a pitcher and a catcher, two elite roles on a team, that allows you to kind of build a team around those two things.”

Valdez describes Maddie Holzer as a “beast on the mound” with a bulldog mentality when it comes to pitching.

Natalie Holzer, he says, has a strong softball IQ and “above average consistency.”

“I feel, hands down, she’s one of the best catchers in the state,” he says.

The sisters’ skills on the field landed them a full-ride to Division I Utah State University in Logan, Utah, where they’ll join the school’s softball team this upcoming school year.

They’re excited for what’s to come at their new school, but there’s still the tiniest bit of sadness that comes across when talking about their next adventure. 

That’s mostly because of having to leave their teammates back in Arizona, many of whom they’ve played softball with since they were kids.

“I’ve been with these girls for most of my life, and now I'm just gonna be gone, and I'm not gonna be with them, but I know that with true friendships we'll stay in touch and we'll reconnect,” Maddie Holzer says. “Like Natalie, I'm excited to have a really good time. Excited to see what changes it brings, and see how the environment changes and everything like that. And I'm excited to meet new people and make some new friends.”

Academics are also a huge part of the Holzers’ high school journeys. The sisters currently have 4.0 GPAs and already have their college majors in their sights.

Natalie Holzer plans to study Constitutional Law at Utah State with a goal of practicing law in front of the Supreme Court Justices one day, she says.

Maddie Holzer plans to study criminal psychology. With the sisters’ similar career paths, there’s a good chance the two could end up working together in the future.

That’s just how they’d prefer it.

The Holzers may be twins, but their personalities and playing styles are anything but similar, they say. 

Maddie Holzer is the calmer, more relaxed one of the duo, who is great at lifting teammates when they're down, her sister says.

Natalie Holzer is the dominant, assertive sister, Maddie Holzer says.

“She's not gonna sugarcoat it,” Maddie Holzer says. “She'll get on your butt and be like, ‘Hey, you need to do this. You need to do that. This is what you did wrong.’ And then I'm right behind her, saying, ‘It's OK. I know you can do it. You can do it the next play.’

“That’s why we’re a good duo.”

It’s all about balance. 

Outside of softball, the two have different interests. Natalie Holzer is the crafty sister who enjoys making little paper animals and building LEGO sets. Maddie Holzer is a big history buff who likes to read history and true crime books in her free time.

Aside from their sister connection, softball has been the constant in their lives that brings them together. The two even provide softball lessons to the next generation in their spare time.

They may not know where softball lands in their long-term plans, but one thing is certain: you’ll always find the two together, pushing each other to be the best they can be.

“They’re a neat duo mix where they really know each other’s abilities and they don’t let each other slack,” Valdez says. “I think that collaborative drive is what’s got them where they’re at. They’re two completely different people and it’s a cool balance to see. (We’re) going to miss them.”

Fast Five with Maddie and Natalie

What are some necessities you always have in your softball bag?

Natalie: Sunflower seeds. My coach is fueling this addiction. There are at least five half-full sunflower seed bags in my bat bag right now, and then I always have ibuprofen and other basic stuff like cleats.

Maddie: I have this roll of pink tape that I put on my wrist. I haven't been doing it lately just because of superstition. I played good once without the tape, and I was like, ‘never again,’ but I normally put pink tape and I'll put the initials of people I care about. Her (Natalie’s) initials are on there, my parents, my little sister, and my older sister's boyfriend, who was diagnosed with cancer a year ago.

What’s your softball “ick”?

Natalie: “Kneevage.” When your knees are showing, but when you wear your softball pants above your knees. First of all, how is your circulation not cut off, and it just looks like … boys when they first start playing baseball, like they all get those youth-size pants that go above their knees. 

Maddie: (Players having) their hair down is what drives me up a wall or when pitchers pull their hair forward before throwing out a pitch. How can you pitch like that? I would rip my hair out like that.

What’s a part of your pre-game routine?

Maddie: She has this (playlist) that we listen to, I call it background music because it sounds like the music that plays in movies, like the background that adds to it and stuff. It's sometimes dramatic, sometimes it's classical. There's also some happy vibe (songs). My mom has always told me, when I'm in the car, driving and listening to music, I'm listening as if I'm the main character and that's literally how I am. So, that's what that playlist is for. There's no words. Because why do there need to be words when it's my movie?

The two also like to participate in warm-ups together, starting with hitting first.

What’s your dream LEGO set?

Natalie: The Berk village from “How to Train Your Dragon.” I think that town would be perfect.

What are your favorite types of books to read?

Maddie: I have a really deep fascination for the Holocaust and World War II. Yeah. So all of my books revolve around that. I love history and looking at what these people went through, and what we did to help.

What are your favorite classes in school right now?

Natalie: AP Government. I want to be a lawyer. So obviously, government is going to be something I enjoy, and my teacher just makes that class so much better. He's one of the best teachers.

Maddie: Being a TA for AP Literature. I've known the teacher all four years, and I absolutely love her.