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July 29, 2012

Dynamic duo claims MSAC honor, aims for winning season

By MATT CHRISTIAN Princeton Times

PRINCETON — With the baseball team winning the AAA state championship, Princeton Senior High School saw its fair share of honors on the baseball diamond but they weren’t the only Tiger athletes to be honored this spring.

Two Tigerette softball players, Brooke Hensley and Meredith Putorek, were named to the All-Mountain State Athletic Conference teams at the conclusion of their season in the spring.

Hensley, a pitcher, was selected as one of three hurlers on the second team, and Putorek, a catcher, received honorable mention for her achievements.

A sophomore, Hensley, seeks to continue to improve the program.

“Well, it’s my goal to try to have a winning season next year,” she said.

Still, Hensley is honored to be among the elite of MSAC.

“With our record last year, I’m honored to be on the second team,” she said. “It’s my goal to get to be on the first team and maybe even make all-state.”

Hensley’s long-term goal is to continue to play softball after leaving the friendly confines of Princeton Senior High School. After a discussion with her mom, Hensley says that she’s been play softball since she was eight years old.

But it wasn’t until a camp last year that the idea of playing college became real for her. Hensley got to meet two of the premier pitchers in NCAA Softball, Jackie Triana of the World Champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide, and Keilani Ricketts, of the runnerup University of Oklahoma.

“They were really nice,” Hensley said, “They showed me a little bit of how they pitch and stuff.”

“Now, I want to try to go to college to play softball, too.”

Hensley definitely has the arm for it. She started all but two of the Tigerettes’ games this past season.

“I play other positions but I just love to pitch,” Hensley said.

Ironically, Hensley’s never been “clocked” that is, had a radar gun check her speed. Still, she and her mom estimate that she can throw in the mid- to upper 50s. That would be the equivalent of a mid-70 mph baseball pitch.

Her battery partner, Putorek, enjoyed the control of being a catcher.

“I just love everything about catcher,” Putorek said, “It gives you a chance to be involved in every play and to control the game.”

Putorek called being selected for the all-MSAC team an honor because of the level of play of the conference. She also called the conference one of the toughest in the state.  

“I’d love to play at a college if I could have that opprotunity, she said.

For now, Putorek is content to work with Hensley and the rest of her teammates to try to bring a winning record to the confines of the Tigerettes’ field.

With two sophomores leading the way for the next two years, the Tigerettes’ diamond future appears to be getting brighter as well.

— Contact Matt Christian at mchristian@ptonline.net.

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