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Though James Madison University is over 250 miles and an almost five-hour drive away from Beaver County, the connection runs deep in Harrisonburg, VA, as Beaver Area and Beaver Falls alums Payton List and Cali Legzdin are making waves on the softball field for James Madison.
While the pair are far from home, their connections with their hometowns have brought them together despite not having played with or against each other in high school.
“We have things that we have had the opportunity to bond about,” List said. “Sometimes we might not have the best day at practice, but we sit there and talk about how exciting it would be to go home and go to the Hot Dog Shoppe, Jerry’s or Hank’s. It is nice to know that we might be four hours away from home, but we have found a home within each other because of how close we are."
Along with List and Legzdin forming a bond over the love of their respective hometowns, which are separated by a 10-minute drive, the pair share a similar mindset and their connection is strong both on and off the field.
List, a redshirt-sophomore in her second season with the team, helped Legzdin adjust to college life off the field as she began her freshman year at James Madison.
“At the beginning of the year, Payton let me talk to her about anything and she knew where I was coming from with everything,” Legzdin said. “She understood me at a deeper and more emotional level than anybody else on the team."
Along with connecting off the field, the pair have also made a name for themselves on the field as well.
List’s college career started at Virginia Tech where she spent one season, redshirting her freshman year before hitting the transfer portal.
When she got the call from James Madison, she knew that it was the perfect match.
“Virginia Tech wasn’t the best fit for me and I didn’t feel like I was at home. When I was visiting James Madison in high school, I talked to coach [Loren] LaPorte and liked the program,” List said. “So when I got the call and was offered, I knew that was where I wanted to go right away. They saw me not just as a player but also as a person.”
In her first season with the Dukes in 2024, the two-time Beaver County Times’ Softball Player of the Year did what she did best while at Beaver Area: dominated both in the circle and at the plate.
She posted a (10-9) record across 32 appearances in 89 innings of work. Offensively she compiled 37 hits, nine home runs and 29 RBIs.
“I just have continued to trust my abilities knowing that I worked hard throughout the week preparing for the series on the weekends. Playing both ways is something that I have been doing most of my softball career so it is not anything crazy for me,” List said.
More: Intimidation, confidence pave way for Beaver's Payton List in dominant season
Following the season, she was named Sun Belt Freshman Of the Year which was a big honor for List, who knows that her coaching staff took a chance on her out of the portal after she transferred from Virginia Tech.
“I think that when you take someone from the portal you are always taking a chance on someone. The coaching staff at JMU believed in me and I put the work back out,” List said. “At the end of the year, we got what we wanted and I came to James Madison to make an impact.”
Now in her second year, List is one of the team’s best players on both sides of the field as she leads the team in ERA and second in strikeouts with over 25 appearances in the circle.
She also is the team leader in hits, RBIs, home runs and doubles, starting all 47 games this season.
Legzdin has also made a name for herself down in Harrisonburg, even though she knew that her transition to the collegiate level was not going to be easy.
The Beaver Falls native has spent hours honing her craft, all while pacing herself to make sure that she was not overworking.
“Sometimes I will come in at 10-11 p.m. and work on the simple steps of my swing or footwork of fielding a ground ball,” Legzdin said. “At this part of the year, this is the most comfortable that I have felt with my fielding. As long as you can get in your comfort zone throughout the season, you are going to do your best.”
More: Multi-sport stars Hale, Legzdin shine on first day of PIAA Track & Field Championships
The freshman utility player has collected 39 hits, nine doubles, five home runs and 23 RBIs.
She also broke the school’s freshman program record of 17 for most steals in a single season. She currently sits with 20 stolen bases, which was a big accomplishment for the first-year player.
“When you are stealing bases and going from first to second, you are putting yourself in scoring position, so I try my hardest to get there no matter how many outs there are,” Legzdin said. “I trust the person behind me to score me so I try to get to second base each time because I know I have the speed to get around and score.”
As both players hit their stride at the collegiate level, the pair are paving the way for the next generation of Beaver County softball players.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Beaver County natives Payton List and Cali Legzdin making waves in college
Continue reading...
While the pair are far from home, their connections with their hometowns have brought them together despite not having played with or against each other in high school.
“We have things that we have had the opportunity to bond about,” List said. “Sometimes we might not have the best day at practice, but we sit there and talk about how exciting it would be to go home and go to the Hot Dog Shoppe, Jerry’s or Hank’s. It is nice to know that we might be four hours away from home, but we have found a home within each other because of how close we are."
Along with List and Legzdin forming a bond over the love of their respective hometowns, which are separated by a 10-minute drive, the pair share a similar mindset and their connection is strong both on and off the field.
List, a redshirt-sophomore in her second season with the team, helped Legzdin adjust to college life off the field as she began her freshman year at James Madison.
“At the beginning of the year, Payton let me talk to her about anything and she knew where I was coming from with everything,” Legzdin said. “She understood me at a deeper and more emotional level than anybody else on the team."
Along with connecting off the field, the pair have also made a name for themselves on the field as well.
List’s college career started at Virginia Tech where she spent one season, redshirting her freshman year before hitting the transfer portal.
When she got the call from James Madison, she knew that it was the perfect match.
“Virginia Tech wasn’t the best fit for me and I didn’t feel like I was at home. When I was visiting James Madison in high school, I talked to coach [Loren] LaPorte and liked the program,” List said. “So when I got the call and was offered, I knew that was where I wanted to go right away. They saw me not just as a player but also as a person.”
In her first season with the Dukes in 2024, the two-time Beaver County Times’ Softball Player of the Year did what she did best while at Beaver Area: dominated both in the circle and at the plate.
She posted a (10-9) record across 32 appearances in 89 innings of work. Offensively she compiled 37 hits, nine home runs and 29 RBIs.
“I just have continued to trust my abilities knowing that I worked hard throughout the week preparing for the series on the weekends. Playing both ways is something that I have been doing most of my softball career so it is not anything crazy for me,” List said.
More: Intimidation, confidence pave way for Beaver's Payton List in dominant season
Following the season, she was named Sun Belt Freshman Of the Year which was a big honor for List, who knows that her coaching staff took a chance on her out of the portal after she transferred from Virginia Tech.
“I think that when you take someone from the portal you are always taking a chance on someone. The coaching staff at JMU believed in me and I put the work back out,” List said. “At the end of the year, we got what we wanted and I came to James Madison to make an impact.”
Now in her second year, List is one of the team’s best players on both sides of the field as she leads the team in ERA and second in strikeouts with over 25 appearances in the circle.
She also is the team leader in hits, RBIs, home runs and doubles, starting all 47 games this season.
Legzdin has also made a name for herself down in Harrisonburg, even though she knew that her transition to the collegiate level was not going to be easy.
The Beaver Falls native has spent hours honing her craft, all while pacing herself to make sure that she was not overworking.
“Sometimes I will come in at 10-11 p.m. and work on the simple steps of my swing or footwork of fielding a ground ball,” Legzdin said. “At this part of the year, this is the most comfortable that I have felt with my fielding. As long as you can get in your comfort zone throughout the season, you are going to do your best.”
More: Multi-sport stars Hale, Legzdin shine on first day of PIAA Track & Field Championships
The freshman utility player has collected 39 hits, nine doubles, five home runs and 23 RBIs.
She also broke the school’s freshman program record of 17 for most steals in a single season. She currently sits with 20 stolen bases, which was a big accomplishment for the first-year player.
“When you are stealing bases and going from first to second, you are putting yourself in scoring position, so I try my hardest to get there no matter how many outs there are,” Legzdin said. “I trust the person behind me to score me so I try to get to second base each time because I know I have the speed to get around and score.”
As both players hit their stride at the collegiate level, the pair are paving the way for the next generation of Beaver County softball players.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Beaver County natives Payton List and Cali Legzdin making waves in college
Continue reading...
