When transferring to a new school, it can definitely be a scary experience. In the case of junior pitcher Jade Hennig, it was an experience that needed to be explored.
While on the quest to find a university to play at, Hennig said she chose N.C. State because she thought our softball program was the most qualified.
“I had several different universities looking at me, so it was a hard decision to make,” said Hennig. “Ultimately, I wanted to choose a school that I would go the farthest with; with my goal being to make it to a National Championship. Overall, I felt like State was the best option for me.”
While under the supervision of Navarro College’s coach Jessica Karenke, Hennig boasted an impressive 16-0 record, along with an 0.89 ERA, finishing 12th in the nation.
Hennig admits that her success at Navarro can be attributed to several different factors, including her dominant pitching and rugged defense.
“I was mainly a strikeout pitcher, so I focused on pitching a lot,” Hennig said. “By letting my defense work behind while I managed the pop flies and ground balls, I think that contributed to my success.”
Fellow State pitcher Morgan Peeler, a junior, said she noticed Hennig’s statistics at her previous college and was not surprised by the numbers.
“She did really well at her former college,” Peeler said. “She has shown a lot of poise on the mound, along with heaps of confidence and determination.”
A key aspect to Hennig’s potential success at State is her transition from both hitting and pitching at Navarro to focusing primarily on pitching while playing for the Pack.
Hennig says that even though she really did not come to bat a lot at her previous college, it was good for her because it allowed her focus more on the core of her talent – pitching.
“I really didn’t get to hit a whole lot at Navarro, so it’s not that big of a difference when all I do is pitch at State anyways,” Hennig said. “It has actually allowed me to focus on my pitching a lot more, which of course is good.”
With Henning being a transfer, it can be said that she will not play as much as the other two pitchers, Morgan Peeler and Kayla Cox.
Though she has not gotten the opportunity to pitch as much as the other two, Peeler believes that Hennig while be a valuable asset to the Pack next season.
“I feel like she has a great opportunity to play more next year,” said Peeler. “She has a very different pitching style compared to Kayla [Cox] and I, and shows great potential for our team next year.”
With only a total of 21 2/3 innings pitched, Hennig realizes that she has not played a lot this season. With optimism on her mind, she knows that she must be stay both mentally sharp and physically fit in order to succeed when she is called upon.
“I haven’t been able to pitch a whole lot this season,” said Hennig. “I just try to stay prepared both mentally and physically, so I’ll be able to pitch to the best of my abilities when my time comes.”
Senior catcher Alyssa Allbritten commented on Hennig’s overall impact on the team, stressing the fact that even though she may not play a lot, she brings fun to the team with her simplicity and goofiness.
“You will always need a third pitcher, which helps out Kayla [Cox] and Morgan [Peeler] when they need time to rest,” said Allbritten. “She also brightens the team’s mood, from simple things such as laughing at stupid jokes. She is just a goofy girl in general.”
