Bedford High School softball ace pitcher Alyx Rossi has been named 2024-25 Gatorade Massachusetts Softball Player of the Year.
Gatorade Player of the Year awards celebrate “the nation’s best high school athletes for their success on the field, in the classroom and in the community,” and distinguishes Rossi as the best high school softball player in the state.
“It’s truly an honor,” Rossi said. “I know a lot of the great softball players in Massachusetts and there was definitely a lot of competition for the award this year. It helped make the 2025 Massachusetts softball season a really competitive one.”
Bedford, the third ranked team in the MIAA Division 2 State Tournament after a 17-1 season, plays in the tournament Final Four on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at against #2 seed Hopkinton against Worcester State University.
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Rossi, a 5’9 left-handed pitcher, is 16-1 this season with 276 strikeouts in 120 innings pitched and 0.35 ERA. Opponents have a mere 0.078 batting average against Rossi this season. She has struck out more than 900 batters over her high school career.
Pitching isn’t the only part of the package with this player, Rossi has a 0.543 batting average, a 0.614 on base percentage, and 26 RBIs this season with 38 hits. Almost half of her hits, generally from the two slot, have been for extra bases with 6 doubles, 3 triples and 7 homeruns. She’s a threat on the basepath with 31 runs and 6 stolen bases.
A humble and gracious player and teammate, Rossi credited the honor to the work of those around her. “Everything that I am is truly a reflection of those around me and for that I am so grateful to be around the best people.”
She listed Coach Frank and Coach Paul from Bedford Babe Ruth youth league, club and private coaches, BHS Varsity Coach Dennis Walsh, and her future coaches at Boston College, where she’s committed to play Division 1 softball in the fall, as contributors to her success.
Rossi gave special credit to her hitting coach, John Pandolfo, “He not only helps me to be the best two-way player I can be but helps me to confront every aspect of the game, physically and mentally, while also acting as my therapist for any problem I face in life.” And she thanked her parents who have supported her with honesty and encouragement.
The Gatorade Player of the Year Program is one of the most elite national honors for outstanding high school student athletes. Awards are given to one athlete per sport per state, and from that pool to one national award for each sport.
It didn’t come by luck. “Since hearing about this award as a freshman it has been a big goal of mine throughout my time playing high school softball. It has been something that has pushed me to succeed in all aspects of my life and I am so very grateful to see some of that hard work pay off.”
Rossi joins the ranks of legendary superstar athletes like LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Abby Wambach, Kerri Walsh, Allyson Felix, and Candace Parker, who have been awarded the Gatorade state or national Player of the Year awards in the past.
She’s been honored before as league all-star, all-scholastic honors, and was the 2024 Boston Globe Division II Player of the Year. Rossi, who graduated a few days ago, is also in the Bedford High School academic Hall of Fame and served as head delegate on the BHS Model UN team this year.
Gatorade could not have made a more fantastic choice.
Rossi found out about the honor Monday morning when she woke up and saw she was tagged in an Instagram post by Gatorade. “Definitely a great way to start my day,” she said.
“It truly means a great deal to me. This award was one of the two goals I had set myself for this season; next goal will hopefully be one step closer this Wednesday.”