ASPIRE Athlete Of The Week: April 25, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Haley Schanks can play first base, but she's also the ace of the pitching staff.
"Haley is kind of the essence of what he have here," said Cliff Charpentier, the North St. Paul softball coach.
He describes Schanks as a hard worker and an excellent pitcher.
"She hasn't allowed a homerun yet this year," Charpentier said.
And in the batter's box, that's like her comfort zone.
"Hitting is my favorite," Schanks says. "I always just want to go up there and hit the ball as hard as I can."
Her team has a tradition of winning, because they all grew up together.
"I've just been playing softball my whole life," Schanks said, adding: "I've been playing with this same team ever since I was little."
When she leaves North St. Paul, she'll be missed. And for all the right reasons.
"[She's] always smiling," Charpentier said. "She just brings a very upbeat let's-win attitude to the team."