Troy University Athletics
Johnson's Journal - Madisyn Marchesi and 23: More Than Just a Number
9/16/2026 10:02:00 AM | Soccer
By: Jon Johnson
The No. 23 jersey worn by Troy University soccer player Madisyn Marchesi is a visual reminder of her father, a former professional baseball player who unexpectedly died when she was just 10 years old.
"I actually began wearing 23 when he was alive," Marchesi said. "My dad always wanted a boy. When I came, he was like, 'Oh no, I've got a girl.'Â
"I ended up being everything he wanted. He put me into sports and I was like, 'I'm going to wear 23 for him.'"
Jimmy Marchesi died in 2016 at age 43 in their hometown of Las Vegas, Nev., leaving behind his wife, Wendy, and three young children. Madisyn was the middle child between older sister, Mylie (13), and brother Mason (5).
"My dad was actually getting a tattoo," Madisyn said of the tragic day. "He just unexpectedly said he wasn't feeling well. That's kind of it."
Madisyn was at home playing a video game her dad had set up before he left the house.
"We got a phone call and life changed before I knew it," Marchesi said. "My Mom took the call and just started saying a prayer. We really didn't know what was going on … just started praying with her."
A heart problem was the culprit.
"He had cardiomyopathy," Madisyn said. "They found it when he was younger. It's a heart condition that my grandfather and his twin also carry. Thankfully, my siblings and I seem to be doing good (heart-wise)."
Although Jimmy was a minor league baseball pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization from 1990-1993, followed by two more seasons in an independent baseball league before retiring from the sport, it was soccer that Madisyn and her siblings gravitated towards.
With a baseball background, her father hoped Madisyn would like softball.
"I just did not pick it up," Madisyn said of softball. "I was a one-trick pony to soccer. He coached me and my little brother. Even though he wanted my little brother to play baseball, we just all seemed to love soccer."
Madisyn began playing soccer as a 4-year-old.
"I've always loved it," Madisyn said. "My older sister started playing first. There's a picture of me staring at my sister (playing soccer) and my mom was like, 'I just knew you wanted to play.'"
From scorer to defender
During her early playing days, Madisyn was counted on as a scorer on the club team soccer level. However, a suggestive change to a defender would ultimately stick.
"I used to be a forward," Madisyn said. "I switched the year my dad passed away, actually, to a defender. My other coach just saw something in me.Â
"When I joined a new (club soccer) team that year, he was just like, 'You're too aggressive to be a forward.' I was like, 'What?' So he put me on defense and I never left."
The change wasn't something she took to right away.
"It was tough," Madisyn said. "I fought back pretty hard. I wanted to go back to being a forward, but I think at one point I just kind of accepted that I was really good on this side."
She continued playing on defense and shined at Liberty High School in Las Vegas, being named All-State and All-Southern Division all four years.
"Sometimes I was pushed up the field to score some goals," Madisyn said of her defender position. "I scored a lot in high school, but club ball is different … it's much more fast paced. I never really scored much (on the club level)."
She sometimes catches herself reverting back to an offensive mindset.
"I think sometimes I try too much to be a forward on the back line," Madisyn said. "I'm dribbling too much and I'm like, 'OK, wait. I've got to remember I'm the last defender. I can't mess up back here.'"
She was asked what makes a good defender.
"Honestly, it's knowing everything that's going on around you," Madisyn said. "Like, you see the whole field, so whatever is going on right or left … you can see everything.Â
"If you can just understand the game and see what's going on in front of you, I think anybody can do it well, you know?"
On to college
Madisyn began her college soccer career at Northern Arizona University.Â
As a freshman, she played in 17 matches with 12 starts and helped the team to four shutouts. During her sophomore season, she appeared in 17 matches with 15 starts, tallying three assists on the season and contributing to three shutouts.
Madisyn decided to enter the transfer portal following her sophomore season and caught the attention of first-year Troy soccer head coach Jake Wyman.
"We saw her on there (transfer portal list) and then basically found film and reached out," Wyman said. "I think she chose us based on the fit and the feeling she had with the coaching staff and the school."
Madisyn didn't have past knowledge of Troy when first contacted, but felt a quick connection with Wyman and assistant coach Jonny Ellis once talking to them on the phone.
Making a visit to Troy and meeting players on the team sealed the deal.
"On my visit, I walked in and told them (players) I was considering committing and they jumped around me and said, 'You have to commit here,'" Madisyn remembers. "Coming from my last environment, this was a whole change for me.Â
"I was like, 'This is awesome.' The coaches were great, the teammates were great. Everybody had great character here. Southern hospitality."
A quick contributor
Madisyn has gotten off to a strong start with the Trojans, even scoring two early-season scores on headers following corner kicks, marking her first goals in college.
"It was crazy," she said. "Actually, Brooke Slater passed it to Irene (Torres) on the first one. Irene played me a great ball in and I just happened to get my head on it.Â
"The second one was Brooke Slater's direct ball … a great ball from her and I was able to get it in the back of the net.
"Honestly, in practice I don't get my head on it a lot, so in the games, I think it just happened to be the right place at the right moment."
It doesn't really surprise Wyman to see Madisyn making scoring plays despite being a defender.
"She's a bit of a dual threat," Wyman said. "She's very good in the air and we've learned that very quickly, so we designed a couple of set plays around her and she's capitalized on that."
Wyman sees Madisyn as someone he can build the program around as a player and leader.
"She's an elite level defender," Wyman said. "She's a communicator and leader. She puts others before herself, and I think that's why she's such a good fit here in helping us turn the culture and rebuild this program.
"We've been absolutely ecstatic with her performance on the field and her character off the field."
In turn, Madisyn raves about Wyman and the coaching staff of the Trojans.
"Jake is amazing," she said. "He makes me feel so at home. Honestly, I look at him like a male figure in my life since I don't have one. I couldn't ask for a better coaching staff."
Comfortable in surroundings
Madisyn has adapted well to life on the Troy campus.
"I love it here," she said. "It's a lot more school-oriented than my old school, so I'm adjusting to that a little bit. But everyone on campus is amazing. I don't think I've met anybody who's not nice."
Her mother has already made several trips from Las Vegas to Troy to watch the Trojans on the field.
"At Northern Arizona, she was at every single game, so she makes it happen," Madisyn said. "She knows how important it is to me to be here. I love my mom. Every time I see her, it makes me feel like I'm at home, even though I'm 27 hours away."
In a way, Madisyn believes she was destined for Troy.
"Fun fact, my dad's middle name is Troy, so I felt like this was meant to be," she said.
Like a match made in heaven.
