Faith Hensley

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Position:
Outfield
Height:
5-5
Class:
Senior
High School:
Monroe
Hometown:
Monroe, Ohio

CAREER NOTES AFTER 2022 SEASON
• 2022 CoSIDA Softball Academic All-America First Team
• Two-Time NFCA All-Great Lakes Region First Team (2021 & 2022)
• 2022 MAC Player of the Year
• Two-Time First Team All-MAC (2021 & 2022)
• Three-Time MAC Softball Player of the Week (April 6, 2021 / April 5, 2022 / April 12, 2022)
• 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team
• 2021 & 2022 MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete
• 2021 & 2022 Academic All-MAC
• 2021-22 Ball State University Top 100 Student
• Three-Time Easton/NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete (2019, 2020, 2021)
• Played in 140 of a possible 189 games over her career, earning 108 starts (90 in LF, 9 in RF, 7 in CF, 2 at DP)
• Has driven in 12 game-winning RBI and scored 12 game-winning runs over her career
• On Ball State’s Career Charts: 1st in On Base Percentage (.499), 2nd in Batting Average (.389), 3rd in Slugging Percentage (.720), T-8th in Home Runs (25), 15th in Runs Scored (97), 16th in RBI (97), T-18th in Times Hit by a Pitch (11), T-19th in Walks (63), T-20th in Stolen Bases (26)
• On Ball State’s Single Season Charts (highest ranking only): 2nd in On Base Percentage (.533 in 2022), 3rd in Walks (37 in 2022), 4th in Batting Average (.404 in 2022), 4th in Home Runs (17 in 2022), 5th in Slugging Percentage (.814 in 2022), T-6th in Doubles (17 in 2021), T-7th in Runs Scored (51 in 2022), T-7th in RBI (51 in 2021), 8th in Total Bases (127 in 2022)

2022 (Sr.): Earned fourth letter at Ball State … CoSIDA Softball Academic All-America First Team ... NFCA All-Great Lakes Region First Team ... Mid-American Conference Player of the Year … First Team All-MAC … MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete … Academic All-MAC … Two-time MAC Player of the Week (April 5 & April 12) … played in 52 of the team’s 53 games … made 47 starts in left field and five in center field … led the squad, ranked third in the MAC, and ranked 45th nationally with a .404 batting average … registered the second-best single season on base percentage in program history at .533, which was first in the MAC and 16th nationally … ranked second in the MAC and 22nd nationally with a .814 slugging percentage, powered in part by her 17 home runs which are the fourth-most in a single season at Ball State, ranked second in the MAC and were 32nd among all NCAA Division I players … finished the season with 63 total hits, including seven doubles and three triples … led the MAC with 37 walks and was hit by a pitch six times … led the Cardinals in both runs scored (51) and RBI (40) with the totals ranking third and fifth among league players, respectively … registered multiple hits in a team-high 22 games, while leading the squad with a streak of reaching base safely in 23 straight games … also tied for BSU’s second-longest hitting streak of the season at eight games … drove in multiple RBI in a team-high nine games, including a season-best five in the 7-6 win over Western Carolina (Feb. 19) in which she smashed a third inning solo home run, an RBI single in the fifth, and a game-tying three-run home run in the seventh … drove in what proved to be the game-winning RBI in four games, starting with a walk-off, bases-loaded walk in the eighth-inning versus Towson (Feb. 18) … her solo home run in the sixth inning versus Northern Kentucky (March 5) proved to be the game-winner in the 2-1 victory … smashed an RBI single in the fourth inning of the series opener versus Kent State (April 1, Game 1) to bring home the eventual winning run … added a walk-off, two-run blast in the series opener versus Western Michigan (April 19) … scored what proved to be the game-winning run in five wins; vs. NKU (March 5), at Northern Illinois (April 6, Game 1), vs. WMU (April 19), vs. WMU (April 20, Game 2), and at Buffalo (April 24) … ranked second on the team and tied for ninth in the MAC with 13 stolen bases.

2021 (Jr.): Earned third letter at Ball State … NFCA All-Great Lakes Region First Team … First Team All-MAC … MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete … Academic All-MAC … MAC Player of the Week (April 6) … played in 54 of the team’s 55 games, earning 53 starts … made 43 starts in left field, seven in right field, two in center field, and one as the designated player … led the squad, ranked seventh in the MAC and 112th nationally with a .390 batting average … her 17 doubles were third in the MAC, tied for 14th nationally, and were the sixth-most in a single season in program history … also led the squad in RBI (51), slugging percentage (.662), on base percentage (.478), and home runs (7) … scored at least one run in 26 games, while driving in at least one RBI in 23 … registered a team-high 19 multiple hit games, including three games with four hits: vs. Alcorn State (March 6), vs. Toledo – Game 2 (May 1), and at Western Michigan – Game 2 (May 8) … also led the squad with 14 games with multiple RBI … drove in a career-best seven RBI in the win over Alcorn State, starting with her first career grand slam to drive in what proved to be the game-winning run … also added a sixth-inning, three-run home run to cap the scoring in the 10-3 victory … drove in five RBI in the second-game victory at WMU on May 8, driving in what proved to be the game-winning RBI with a fifth-inning single … tallied eight total game-winning RBI on the year … drove in the what proved to be the game-winning run in the 5-2 victory over Austin Peay (Feb. 27) with a RBI single in the first inning … added a three-run double in the series-opening 14-6 victory over CMU (April 2) to push across what stood to be the game-winning run … blasted a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning in the opening game of a doubleheader at Akron (April 17) which stood as the game-winning run … registered a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eighth in the series finale versus Toledo (May 2) … drove in two of BSU’s five runs in the seventh inning in the first game of a DH at Buffalo (May 15), droving in what proved to be the game-winning run in the come-from-behind 7-4 victory … scored what proved to be the game-winning runs vs. Alcorn State, Bowling Green (March 28), at Central Michigan (April 3, Game 2), versus Kent State (April 9, Game 2), and in the first two games at Akron (April 16 and April 17, Game 1) … ranked second on the team with 11 stolen bases.

2020 (So.): The season was shortened to 27 games due to the COVID-19 global pandemic … earned second letter at Ball State … played in eight games, earning two starts … made one start as the designated player and one start in right field … finished the season with a .455 batting average, logging five hits in 11 at bats … also drew a pair of walks and was hit by a pitch for a .571 attack percentage … drew a walk in a pinch hit appearance at No. 8 Louisiana (Feb. 8) … her first hit of the season was a two-run single in the win over Prairie View A&M (Feb. 8) … scored her first run of the season after entering as a pinch runner and stealing second in the win at North Florida (Feb. 15) … recorded her second hit of the season after entering as a pinch hitter in the win over Tulsa (March 7) … earned her first start of the season as the designated player versus Samford (March 7), going 3-for-5 in the game with a RBI single in the first inning and a double in the third, scoring a run after both hits … started in the rematch versus Samford (March 8) the next day, drawing a walk in the victory.

2019 (Fr.): Earned first letter at Ball State … Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American Scholar-Athlete … played in 26 games, earning one start in right field … her first career hit was a pinch hit three-run home run in the victory over Fordham (March 17) … scored her first of five runs on the year after entering the game versus Delaware (Feb. 16) as a pinch runner … also scored a run in the game versus Iowa (March 3) and in each of the wins over Cleveland State (March 8 & March 16), including what proved to be the game-winning run in the 10-3 victory on March 16 … drew her first collegiate walk and stole her first career base in the first game of a doubleheader versus Bowling Green (April 6) … earned her first career start in the nightcap against BGSU.

HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters in softball at Monroe High School for coach Tim Kellis … garnered Southwestern Buckeye League Player of the Year, Cincinnati Enquirer Division II Player of the Year and Southwest Metro Co-Player of the Year accolades after finishing her senior year with a .714 batting average, a 1.279 slugging percentage, seven home runs, 45 runs scored and 23 stolen bases ... helped guide the Hornets to an 18-3 record, a third SWBL Championship in four years, as well as a district runner-up finish in her final season to also earn first team all-state honors ... named second team all-state, as well as the SWBL Player of the Year, as a junior after boasting a .573 batting average over 26 games with 10 home runs and 42 RBI ... four-time first team All-SWBL … four-time first team all-district, all-metro and all-Cincinnati Enquirer … produced a .571 batting average as a sophomore, blasting four home runs and 11 doubles over 63 at bats … hit .529 as a freshman with 14 doubles in 85 at bats on the year to earn SWBL Player of the Year honors … honorable mention all-state as a freshman and sophomore … helped guide the Fighting Hornets to SWBL Championships in as a freshman and junior.

CLUB: Has played two seasons of club ball for the Beverly Bandits … helped guide her 2017 squad to a PGF 16U National Championship and a TC/USA 16U National Championship.

PERSONAL: Daughter of Kyle and Melinda Hensley … born March 20, 2000 in Columbus, Ohio … full name is Faith Marie Hensley ... has two sisters, Jenna and Rose … her father played baseball at Mount St. Joseph University, while her mother is currently a gymnastics instructor … maintains a 4.00 grade point average as a pre-medical preparation major.

WHY BALL STATE: I chose Ball State because it is the perfect size and distance from home for me. The school is beautiful and everybody I know who goes here loves it. Everything about Ball State feels very inviting and like home to me.