Rachel Cid has played at the D1 level with time at UCLA and Oregon and today the former college infielder, who in 2019 was on the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, is now a hitting instructor who describes her teaching as “pouring into the next generation doing what I love.”

One of her prize students is Maddie Bittman, the junior catcher from the San Francisco area and No. 21 ranked player overall in the 2028 HOT 100.

Maddie is headed to the University of Washington—her long-time dream school—and Rachel showed how proud she is of the junior with this post:

Rachel knows what it takes to play at the highest level of college softball and here’s how she describes her Class of 2028 student’s abilities:

“Maddie is a high-level athlete with the physical tools and offensive upside to compete at the Power 4 level. At the plate, she has a combination of strength, bat speed, and explosiveness that gives her legitimate extra base power.”

The teacher says her student has made great strides in technique…

“One of the biggest areas of growth I’ve seen in our time together has been learning how to efficiently use her lower half and create better hip connection through her swing. As that has developed, she’s been able to tap into more of the power she naturally possesses and trust me, there is plenty of it!”

“She’s athletic enough to make adjustments quickly and the scary part is I still don’t think we’ve seen her ceiling offensively yet.”

And the California junior, according to Coach Rachel, is also truly focused on getting better.

“What makes Maddie a UW caliber player to me goes beyond the physical tools,” she continues. “She is ridiculously detail-oriented (sometimes I have to remind her that her swing does not need to be dissected frame by frame, but that’s also what makes coaching her so much fun.”

“Maddie wants to know why something works, what she should feel, and how she can make it better. She’ll send me videos from her own hitting sessions, ask for feedback, and put in the work when nobody is watching.”

“She’s strong, athletic, competitive, coachable, and genuinely loves the game but she’s also sarcastic, goofy, and one of those kids who can make a lesson entertaining while still getting after it.”

“Maddie isn’t a finished product and that might be my favorite thing about her as a player. She already has high level tools, and I truly believe the best version of Maddie Bittman is still ahead of her.”

“UW is getting a good one, a true Dawg!”

Line Drive caught up with the outstanding catcher to learn more about her recruiting process and why she’s excited to go straight north on the I-5 to play for her favorite Big Ten softball program!  

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Name: Maddie Bittman
Position(s): C/1B
High School (City/ST): Granada High School (Livermore, Calif.)
Club Team: Lady Magic 16U
Grad Year: 2028
Committed To: University of Washington
Date Committed: September 1, 2026

What would you say are your top achievements, stats, honors and/or accomplishments over the last year and/or for your career?

Some of the accomplishments I’m most proud of are being named East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) 1^st Team All-League in back-to-back seasons, Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman, Granada Varsity MVP as a sophomore, and a North Coast Section Top Scholar Athlete both years.

This past high school season, I hit .420 with four home runs while catching 147 innings.

I’m a 5-foot-10 left-handed catcher/first baseman and ranked No. 21 in the Line Drive Media 2028 HOT 100 and also was a Softball America four-star recruit.

With Lady Magic, I’ve had the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the country at events like PGF Nationals, the Colorado Sparkler, P5 Patriot Games, and Top Gun.

We finished third at PGF Premier Nationals in 2025, and I’ve also had the opportunity to participate in USA Softball HPP events two years in a row where I finished as a top performer in USA HPP 2024.

Do you play other sports? If so, anything you’re proud to share?

I also play varsity basketball at Granada High. I’ve been on varsity since my freshman year and was named a team captain as a sophomore.

I love competing in both sports, and I think basketball has helped make me a better softball player, especially with my athleticism, leadership, communication, and ability to compete under pressure.

What’s been a top 1–2 softball experience in your career?

Colorado is always one of my favorite softball experiences. Playing P5 and the Sparkler in 2026 was especially memorable.

I hit two home runs in one game, and getting to compete against great teams from all over the country for two straight weeks is something I always look forward to.

Another moment I’ll never forget was hitting a home run against American Canyon High in the top of the ninth inning to break a scoreless game and give Granada the lead. That was one of those moments where everything you work for comes together in one swing.

I’ve also really enjoyed my experiences with USA Softball. Getting to compete alongside and against talented players from around the country has been an awesome experience.

How did your future university first find you to start recruiting you?

Washington first saw me at my first OnDeck Colorado Jamboree in 2025.

After that, I started attending Washington camps, with my first one in Seattle in August 2025. From the first camp, there was just something different about Washington.

When did they offer you a scholarship?

September 1, 2026, on our second phone call of the day!

When and how did you commit? What were the circumstances?

September 1 was a pretty crazy day!

At exactly 11 am, when coaches were officially allowed to contact the 2028 class, I received a FaceTime from (Head) Coach (Heather) Tarr and Coach Courtney (Gano). We had a great conversation and set up my official visit.

Around 2 pm that afternoon, Coach Brad (Kilpatrick) and Coach (Lance) Glasoe called me. At one point they jokingly asked why I hadn’t committed yet, and I said, “Well… you haven’t given me an offer!”

That changed pretty quickly.

They offered me a scholarship, and as much as I wanted to say “yes” right then, I knew I needed to talk everything through with my parents first.

Once my dad got home from work, we went through the logistics and made sure we had all of our questions answered.

We called the coaches back around 7 pm that night. After about 45 minutes of talking, I already knew my answer.

I told them:

“I want to be a Dawg for life.”

It’s pretty special that Washington was my very first call when recruiting opened and also the last call of my day—the one where I found my future home.

What was it about the school/program that made you decide it was the place for you? Did you have an “a-ha” moment where it suddenly was obviously the right place for you?

I finally understood the saying:

“When you know, you know.”

I went to my first Washington camp in August 2025, and I loved it. I loved the coaches, the culture, the campus, and everything they were doing with the program. There was just something about Washington camps that felt different from every other camp I attended.

I genuinely enjoyed being there. I loved talking with the coaches, learning from them, and hearing about what it means to be a Dawg. Every time I went back to Seattle, that feeling got stronger.

Washington also gives me the combination I was looking for: elite softball, incredible academics, a strong engineering program, and a culture where I felt like I could truly be myself.

By September 1, I knew that if Washington gave me the opportunity, that was where I wanted to be.

What did they say they liked about your game enough to offer you?

Interestingly, we didn’t spend a ton of time talking about softball during our calls. I think that was part of what made Washington feel so different—they wanted to get to know me as a person too.

When we did talk about softball, the coaches mentioned my swing, my approach at the plate, my length, being a left-handed hitter and catcher, and my ability to throw runners out.

Before September 1, Coach Tarr sent me a note about how much she enjoyed having me in Seattle as a camper.

One part that stuck with me was her basically summing up one of my trips as: take the SAT, rally to Seattle, hit a laser and throw people out.

I loved that because it captured how much effort I had put into getting back to Washington and how much fun I had every time I was there.

Who helped you in your softball decision—family, coaches, anyone else?

My parents were definitely a huge part of the process, but I honestly knew what I wanted.

I knew that if I had the opportunity to play at Washington, that’s what I wanted to do. My parents have encouraged me from a young age to prioritize academics, so finding a school where I could get an amazing education while competing at the highest level was always a huge piece of the puzzle.

Washington checked every box I had—academically, athletically and personally. My parents helped me make sure I thought everything through, but they also trusted me to know where I felt at home.

Do you know yet what you will study in college? What would you like to do for a career after softball?

I know I want to study engineering, although I’m still deciding which area. I really like building things and figuring out how things work, so civil or mechanical engineering are two areas that interest me.

I hope I get to play softball for as long as possible. I would love to have the opportunity to play professionally after college.

But whenever the day comes to hang up my cleats, hopefully I’ll get to build some pretty cool things and make a career out of it!

What top tournaments/events will you and your team be playing in this fall and next year (2027)?

Lady Magic always has a packed schedule. This fall, we’ll compete in Salinas a few times and travel to Southern California twice before Thanksgiving.

During the summer, we normally head to Kansas for Top Gun, spend about two weeks in Colorado for P5 and the Sparkler, and finish the summer competing at Nationals.

Is there anything unusual or different about you that would be fun to share or mention?

I have a pretty funny story now, although it definitely wasn’t funny to eight-year-old me.

When I was little, I went into a sporting goods store hoping to buy my first left-handed catcher’s mitt. The guy helping us told me that because I was left-handed, I would never be able to catch at a high level and that we should probably reconsider buying the glove.

You can imagine how an eight-year-old reacted to that!

Instead of giving up on catching, I used it as motivation. I kept catching, kept working, and eventually being a left-handed catcher became something that helped me stand out.

That’s another reason Washington feels like such a cool fit. The program embraces left-handed catchers and even won the 2009 Women’s College World Series with a left-handed catcher.

So going from being told at eight years old that I couldn’t catch at a high level because I was left-handed to now being committed to catch at the University of Washington feels pretty full circle.

I’m really glad we bought the glove.

What’s something about you off the field that not many people know?

I have a dog named Chewie!

I’m a huge New York Yankees fan, and I love building LEGOs.

I’m definitely someone who always likes having something to build or figure out, which is probably part of why engineering interests me so much.

What do you love most about softball?

I love competing. I love that every pitch gives you another opportunity to do something for your team.

As a catcher, I also love being involved in every single pitch and having the ability to impact the game in so many different ways.

More than anything, I love the relationships and memories softball has given me. I’ve gotten to travel all over the country, compete with some of my best friends, meet incredible coaches and teammates, and now it’s giving me the opportunity to attend my dream school.

In one word, describe yourself on the field:
Dawg.

And off the field:
Dawg. 🐾