Silverdale's Gabbie Hensley Headed To Kentucky

The Silverdale Lady Seahawks are building quite a successful program with their softball team and have now won the last two Division II-Class A state titles and three in the past six years, not counting the Covid year when the season was cancelled.

Jackie Freeland has been the head coach for the past six years and has been blessed with some outstanding players, one of the latest being senior Gabbie Hensley.

Hensley enrolled at Silverdale as a sixth grader and played softball in middle school for those first two years. She’s one of the best high school catchers around and has been the starter behind the plate for the past five springs.

It’s hard to believe that her prep career will be over in the blink of an eye, but that doesn’t mean her softball days are over as she’s committed to play at the University of Kentucky next year.

Gabbie is the middle of three children to Nikki and Brian Hensley. Ashton is the older brother who is a junior at UTC while younger sister Brooklyn is a freshman at Silverdale. Mark Kay, Gabbie’s late grandfather, was an All-State athlete at City High during his heyday, so her athletic ability comes quite naturally.

Gabbie has played a little basketball in recent years, but softball is her sport and her leadership and ability behind the plate has been one of the main reasons that Silverdale has done so well in recent years.

“I’ve been here since the sixth grade and it’s gotten better over the years. I don’t think it’s hit me yet that graduation is just around the corner, but my goal is to leave things better than I found them. I’ve grown as an athlete and as a person and my faith has gotten a lot stronger too. But I’m sure there’s life outside of Silverdale and I’m excited about those possibilities,” Gabbie said while sitting at the scorer’s table just behind home plate at Silverdale’s softball field earlier this week.

“I love the girls on our softball team and we do a lot of team bonding. That has helped us as much as anything, but I feel like we have a great chance to win for the third straight year. We just need to execute,” she smiled.

And what about the decision to play for the Kentucky Wildcats?

“It’s such a great atmosphere up there as it felt like home away from home. I had a great visit up there and really felt wanted. I feel like their program is on the way up and I think I have a chance to help them next year if I just keep working hard. I took my official visit there in the fall and made my commitment on Oct. 2. I can’t wait to get started,” she added.

Freeland has been her high school coach for the past five years while Tim Thompson has been a Silverdale assistant who first got to know Gabbie when he coached her in middle school. Jeremy Higdon has been her club coach for the past five years.

All have really nice and positive things to say about Gabbie.

“Gabbie is just a great kid who is always smiling and happy to be here,” Freeland began.

“She has been a true joy to coach and is really like another coach on the field. She knows that game as well as anyone and is our quarterback on the field. She’s one of the best catchers I’ve ever seen with a really strong arm. She’s also an outstanding hitter as she’s hitting cleanup for us this year.

“She does a great job of keeping our pitchers calm and that’s a real gift. And she’s quickly approaching a thousand innings of high school catching. She’s always willing to do what it takes to win and is very even-keeled. She doesn’t let outside stuff faze her.

“She’s the kind of player you want on your team and has been a lot to our program. We will surely miss her when she’s gone,” Freeland added.

“I started coaching Gabbie in middle school. She always plays with value and not for value, but her approach to the game and to life doesn’t change, no matter what,” Thompson began.

“She’s one of the most compassionate players we have and has a great relationship with all of her teammates, especially the younger girls. She’s the kind of young lady you’d like to have as your daughter. This is hard for me, watching her play her final season here. Watching her grow up has been quite a journey. We want her in the lineup every time we play, but she’s just a great kid who makes really good grades and has never been in trouble.

“Gabbie is really one of a kind. You never have to raise your voice with her as she knows what she needs to do to improve and she makes the corrections she needs. She’s tough and a great leader, although not always the loudest. We’ve had some great players over the years here and she’s just the last one,” Thompson added.

Higdon has been her club coach for the past five years and works with her mainly in the fall and summer. He’s totally confident in her ability and knows that she’s made the right decision.

“Gabbie is an incredible defensive catcher and also a great hitter who just keeps getting better. And she’s always been a tremendous leader from the first day I met her. She has all the talent needed to play at the next level and she will only get better.

“She’s really special behind the plate and has a golden opportunity in front of her. She has all the tools and I’m totally confident she will make a positive impact with the Wildcats,” Higdon added during a phone conversation earlier in the week.

There were only two seniors on last year’s team with Kennedy Stinson now playing at Western Kentucky and Ella Cunningham at Michigan State. Hensley is one of two seniors on this year’s team as well. Emry Masterson is planning to play softball at Wofford with Hensley going to Kentucky.

Hensley, who celebrated her 18^th birthday on Dec. 14, has plans for a double major with a focus on accounting and finance.

It will be interesting to watch her as she takes this next step in her life. She’s definitely made a difference at Silverdale and no doubt will make a difference at Kentucky as well.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)