Boone Grove senior Madison Kaufman is primarily a third baseman.

Although she proudly wears the label of “utility player,” Trinity Christian recruited her mostly to play third.

But for the Wolves this season, Kaufman holds down the catcher position.

“She has a college scholarship, and she’s going as a third baseman, but yet she is doing nothing but catching for me because I need it,” Boone Grove coach Ron Saunders said. “She’s willing to do that for the team.

“She’s a four-year kid who for three years has been my backup third baseman, my backup catcher, my backup left fielder. She’s done everything I’ve asked.”

Kaufman has taken it all in stride.

“I’m used to all of them,” she said. “For my travel team, I play third, utility and catch a little bit.

“As the catcher, I just want to be there for my pitchers and help the defense through whatever is going on on the field. I just want to be there for my teammates. If something may not be going right, I just want to be there for them in times like that.”

With that approach, Kaufman is a captain for the Wolves, who last season won both the Porter County Conference round-robin and tournament titles and their first sectional championship since 2019.

“I feel honored that I was given the responsibility to care for and lead my team,” she said. “I just want to take that and do the most I can for my team with it. I just want to try to be the person to bring them up when things are kind of down. I want to be a voice when maybe there isn’t a lot on the field.”

Senior first baseman Mercedes Szakacs also is a captain for Boone Grove, which Kaufman appreciates.

“She’s one of my best friends, so we work together really well as a team,” Kaufman said.

Szakacs also praised Kaufman.

“Madison is a very dedicated person,” Szakacs said. “She’s always striving to be better. She’s always asking for more reps during practice.

“She’s a very quiet person, but while being captain, she has stepped up and been a big voice for us so far this season. I’m so glad to be captains with her, and I can’t wait to see how our season goes.”

Kaufman is hitting .182 in the early stages of the season as the Wolves (1-5), who have moved back down to Class 2A from 3A, have faced a series of big schools and three future Division I pitchers. Kaufman’s impact extends beyond statistics.

“In my book, the one person that never argues, never complains, has never said, ‘Why her instead of me,’ and yet gives 1000%, that’s Madison,” Saunders said. “She’s my captain this year, and well deserved. Trust me, well deserved.

“She’s extremely smart. Nobody works harder than she does. Either it’s catching my pitchers, or if she’s not, she’s constantly working on her swing, trying to get better and better and better. I’ve never heard her complain about anything. I can’t remember one time where she said, ‘Why?’ She just goes and does it.”

Kaufman intends to become a nurse, specializing in either labor and delivery or pediatrics. She recently earned a license as a certified nursing assistant, working in a nursing home for a month and a half. She has also been spending the first half of her days working at a wound care clinic at a local hospital.

Kaufman played volleyball for Boone Grove too.

“It’s another outlet for me,” she said. “It’s something I’ve always done as another thing to softball because I feel it’s important to play a bunch of different sports so you don’t get burned out with one sport. I did it as a fun thing to do.”

Kaufman is prepared to finish on a high note with the Wolves, who were the 2A state runners-up in 2015 and 2016.

“We can do so much,” she said. “We have a really good young group coming up. They’re really going to help us a lot through the rest of the season and the postseason. We have good upperclassmen too.

“I’m just excited for the season. I have high expectations. We’re going to do good, but we’re also going to have a lot of fun this year. We’ve all grown up playing together, and having those relationships is more important, those memories. Obviously, I want to win. That’s the main goal. But we’re going to carry the memories with us forever. It’s just really special.”