Scott Keyes
Sports Scene
Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak in 1941 is one record in major sports that likely will not be touched by major leaguers in our lifetime.
Take a minute to imagine getting at least one hit, every day, for two months. If you get walked three times, too bad. That means that teams have to pitch to you, and you have to get lucky at times, too. To this day, DiMaggio’s record stands as one of the greatest achievements in baseball history.
Now think about this.
Sacred Heart Academy junior Sara Hansen came into this softball season carrying a 56-game hitting streak that dated back to May of 2011, midway through her freshman season. Hansen’s feat broke the old Michigan High School Athletic Association’s record of 35 games set by Cheryl Beaman of Fraser High School in 1992.
That’s a hit a game for nearly two seasons heading into her junior campaign. And keep in mind that Hansen will only get better, as she continues to rip the cover off the ball for the Irish this spring at a record pace.
Is it possible to continue such a streak all the way through the rest of her high school career?
No one really can answer that question, but with a combination of speed, accuracy, discipline, and a quick bat, Hansen has continued her torrid pace at the plate, hitting safely in all nine of her games (prior to press time), despite having to deal with the cold and wet weather during the early part of the season.
Hansen remains humble to her craft.
“My mindset is not to worry about all the records and hits,” she said. “It’s more to get the wins and for our team to do well this season. I try not to think about it [the hitting streak] too much because that just adds pressure. I think more about each individual game and more about having fun and winning .”
A year ago, Hansen had an incredible season for the Irish. In addition to the hitting streak, she tied a national record with 82 runs scored in a season. She also added to the MHSAA record book, breaking another 20-year old record with 100 hits in a season. The old record was 92 hits.
Irish senior catcher Lizzie Albaugh has watched Hansen grow as a player over the last two seasons, and she has admired her tenacity and hitting prowess during that time.
“Sara knows her job offensively and does it very well.” Albaugh said. “Her job is to put the ball in play and get on base, and Sara executes that play every time she’s up to bat. She’s off to a great season this year, and she’s ready to lead our line up like she did last year.”
Hansen is a not only a three-sport athlete, but she also has been a varsity player in each of those sports. Even more impressive is that she plays key positions in all three. She’s the setter on the volleyball team, point guard on the basketball team, and leads off and plays shortstop for the softball team.
Albaugh knows how improtant Hansen is in every sport she plays. “She is a great leader and always has been,” she said. “For softball, she is that key player that we need at the shortstop position. She’s fast and rarely misses a ball. She’s our lead-off batter, and she executes in every way she can.”
Sacred Heart coach Amy Gaudard said Hansen has a lot of natural ability, and she always improves throughout the course of the season.
As for the hitting streak, Gaudard said that records are something that the team doesn’t look at until the season ends, and she knows that Hansen is taking it all in stride. “Most of the time when Sara is at the plate, I let her read the defense and execute from there,” Gaudard said. “She is continuing to improve on reading the defense and knowing if the team needs her to bunt, slap, or swing away.”
In every situation she is in, Hansen believes that focus is the key to success. “Each time I come up, I just focus more on what my job is at that time,” Hansen said. “If it is to get on, I try to do that, or if its to move the runner I will try to do that, too. It all depends on the situation each time I am up to bat. It’s definitely important to wait for the right pitch to hit but also be disciplined at the plate and not swing at bad pitches, which is something I am still working on.”
As this season progresses, Hansen and Albaugh both agree that their attention is focused on getting the Irish get back to the Division 4 semifinals.
A year ago the Irish bowed out in the semis, but this year’s team is determined to make a return trip to Battle Creek.
“Our team knows we don’t have a guaranteed spot in Battle Creek in June,” Albaugh said. “We have two new pitchers this year, and they have both been working hard during the season, and they are willing to try new pitches and give it their all. It will be a building process like we had last year, but we know the goal and we are committed to meeting that goal. I believe we will meet this goal with the athletic team that we have, and the chemistry we have as a team is amazing. We are all ready to start playing games and get the show on the road.”
Hansen knows the season is a grind and she expects there will be some growing pains along the way, but she knows the team will work through them and is confident as the season continues. “Losing some good players last year and having to replace them is tough, but we hopefully will have another good year,” she said.
Gaudard said the expectation for this year’s team is for them to improve every day, and she will rely heavily on her two starting pitchers to lead the way for the Irish.
“We know their [the pitchers’] success will be key this season,” she said. “On the flip side of that, we are working just as hard offensively so we can put up a lot of runs to take the pressure off the pitching.”
With Hansen continuing her assault on the record books and leading the way, anything is possible for the Irish.