By Ken Hansard
Last spring, after graduating eight seniors from the 2023 squad, the Andale-Garden Plain softball team was supposed to be entering a rebuilding phase; however, anyone who knows the history of these schools knows that there really is no such thing – that high turnover just means a chance to reload. The Indians, behind a strong core of underclassmen, including then junior catcher Emery Bensen-Hladik, ended up compiling a 19-10 record in a campaign that culminated in a second-place finish at 4A State.
Entering this season, Bensen-Hladik feels that the Indians can duplicate, and possibly improve on, last year’s success, “The mindset this year will be completely different, it will be more of a ‘we will make it to state’ instead of ‘we could make it to state, if we get past regionals.’ I feel like, with that mentality, it’ll be a fun season.”
Last season, Bensen-Hladik was named to the AVCTL’s Division IV First-Team as a catcher. She was also named first team All-State. She ended the 2024 season with a .500 batting average and 9 home-runs, as well as 39 RBI’s. In 2023, as a sophomore, she was named Honorable-Mention All-League.
Bensen-Hladik realizes that being a senior demands other, possibly even more important, responsibilities, “I see myself as a leader and the pick-me-up girl. As the catcher, my job is to maintain order on the field and make sure everyone is on the same page. I try my best to give my teammates the confidence they need to make the next play and settle them down when necessary. I am really conscious of my body language, because people look to me to stay strong and keep everyone together.”
