And while usually that means a red-eye flight from a far part of the country to Williamsport, the Crosscutters’ new addition needed just a 10-mile drive.

Maddix Dalena, a former Montoursville baseball phenom who just wrapped up his fourth season with the UConn Huskies, was on an early Wednesday morning stroll when he got the text that sent him to Bowman Field.

“I was actually taking my dog for a walk when I got the text,” said an amused Maddix Daleney during Thursday’s batting practice. “They said I had a chance to come down last night and be a part of the Crosscutters. And I didn’t even hesitate, I said, ‘yes, 100%.'”

“We are always excited about a local guy,” said Williamsport Crosscutter manager Kenny Thomas. “And the fans love a local guy.”

Maddix Dalena of the Crosscutters sits on the bench with his team before the start of the game against West Virginia at Bowman Field. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

A summary is not required for local baseball fans on the impact Dalena had in high school. A perennial starter that teased with the national rankings and swept multiple local player of the year awards, Dalena was a cornerstone in the Warriors’ 2022 District 4 Class AAAA championship run that included a state playoff victory against Wyoming Area.

The run was just the cherry on top of a legendary career that garnered the interest of many division one programs, most of which UConn, who signed Dalena as an immediate impact talent.

The Mountoursville native would not disappoint, immediately making an impact with 30 appearances and 13 starts in a freshman campaign that saw Dalena hit .254 with five extra base hits and 11 runs batted in.

But 2024 would be the official collegiate coming out party, with the former Warrior garnering all Big East second-team honors with a .292 average, 13 home runs, and 43 runs batted in from a season that saw the Huskies clinch a super regional berth against number eight-ranked Florida State.

What followed however would be two years of trials and tribulations. Tabbed as the 2025 Preseason Big East Player of the Year, Dalena would pick up a wrist injury 11 games into the season that sidelined him for the year. In his first full season back in 2026, Dalena became a regular contributor again with a .242 average and 33 runs batted in across 47 starts, this time on the hot corner at third.

Which brings us to Thursday, with the college ballplayer in Williamsport on night two of his Crosscutters career in a 2026 season that has grown an unsuspected extension.

“It’s good to be back playing ball,” Dalena discussed. “It’s good to be in my hometown. The guys are great. I love the energy here. The coach is great. I’m loving everything about it so far. … I grew up and played my high school district games here.”

Maddix will be the second member of the Dalena family to partake in the MLB Draft League. Back in 2024, his brother Jaxon was a stalwart starter in the MLB Draft League first-half season for the State College Spikes. In Center County, Jaxon pitched a modest 3.65 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 24 and two thirds of an innings pitched.

Two years later and the older Dalena is scrapping through the minor leagues as a member of the San Diego Padres organization, who locked up the right handed pitcher in the sixth round of the 2025 Draft.

“Yeah, I talked to him a little bit,” chuckled Daleney. “He told me ‘Do what you’ve been doing growing up. Don’t treat it like something bigger than it is. Go out and do what you’ve been doing your whole career.'”

Whether it be for the full 80-game slate or just a short trial, any athlete on a MLB Draft League roster will have the opportunity when called upon to make an impression to scouts both professional and college.

For Maddix Dalena, who has one more year of college eligibility and recently put his name in the transfer portal, any glimpse is a chance to shine.

“(I’m) only here for a short amount of time,” discussed Daleney. “So (I want to) build strong connections with great players all over the country and continue developing myself and get better every day.”