WHIZ KID: Hannah Thomas

Hereford High School junior Hannah Thomas is a star softball player who puts her teammates first.

Recently, Thomas, 16, led the Cockeysville-based Maryland Black Ice club softball team to second place in the Maryland State Tournament from June 24 to 26. The championship game took place at Rockburn Branch Park in Elkridge.

"As a teammate, Hannah pretty much leads by example, but she can be vocal as well," Black Ice coach Keith Calta said. "We do look for her to help lead because she's one of our older girls."

Thomas has hit six doubles and three triples for the Black Ice. The team qualified for the Class B Eastern World Series in Salisbury on July 24 to 30 due in part to Thomas' .379 batting average, 25 RBIs and 22 runs scored.

"She's a very consistent and steady performer over [at third base] who is automatic when the ball is there," Calta said. "She's very quick at the position."

This past spring, Thomas played shortstop for Hereford High’s softball team. This was a switch from her favored position at third base.

“For my club team, I'm a third baseman, and I've played that position since I was around three years old,” Thomas said. “But my coach came to me during the season and said, 'I really, really need a shortstop.' She asked me if I would be willing to make the transition to playing shortstop.”

Thomas took some time to talk with her dad Jack Thomas about the request to change positions. She said she was looking at colleges and was concerned about not getting post-season honors because she wasn’t as comfortable with her skills as a shortstop.

“I've been told that with a good GPA, a good SAT and with the way I'm playing softball, that I can get into any good college that I want to,” Thomas said. “So that's my goal. It's all about getting yourself out there.”

But, ultimately, she decided to support her team.

“It's not about where you're going to shine, but about what your team needs you to do,” Thomas said.