In the world of elite softball, few players recently have had a meteoric rise to match that of   Maria Sweet, a 2027 right-handed pitcher for Stars National Coleman 18U whose journey from upstate New York to the national stage has been nothing short of remarkable.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and recently clocking in at 66 mph in-game, the junior at Oswego (N.Y.) High has become a fast-rising prospect on the mound and one of the elite uncommitted pitching prospects in the ’27 class.

She’s also a standout basketball player at the prep level and has the athleticism and hops to dunk a softball as shown by this X/Twitter post:

Hoops talent notwithstanding, it’s Maria’s pitching prowess that will get her onto the college athletic field and her performances as of late are making that more and more of a certainty.

Last weekend at the Scenic City Top 25, she held some of the nation’s best teams to just under a 3.00 ERA and helped the Stars force a Team NC – Bowman powerhouse lineup into an international tiebreaker.

Here are some clips of Maria pitching at the event:

This recent success is simply a continuation of the breakthrough success the hurler has had that really picked up steam this Summer, when she first joined the Stars National 18U Coleman team as a 14U eligible player.

At that time, Maria was throwing about 58 mph in game but through hard work and the unwavering support of her coaches, she steadily climbed to 62-to-63 mph by Summer’s end.

The 2025 Summer season saw also saw Maria lead her team to a runner-up finish at the Atlanta Legacy Invite (now the Alex Wilcox Invite), a Championship Sunday appearance at the Triple Crown Colorado event, and a Top 10 finish at PGF Platinum Nationals.

Despite her cold-weather roots and a quieter September 1 in terms of phone calls, Maria’s dedication never wavered.

As of today, however, Maria’s hard work has paid off with several great offers now on the table.

As Stars National coaches Rachel Coleman and Rob Crews shared with Line Drive today, the athlete’s hard work has paid off big-time:

“We just continued to pour into her, believe in her, and tell her she’s big time,” recalls Coach Coleman, “no matter if she was succeeding or struggling.”

And it’s that steadfast belief that has helped Maria transform into the dominant pitcher she is today.