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IMPERIAL — Before West Allegheny catcher Ava Henke became a four-year starter on the West Allegheny softball team, coming into her freshman season, she came in with the mindset of being undeniable.
While her high school career did not start off in her primary position behind the plate, she ended up at third base and used that mindset and got to work. Each game Henke was at the hot corner, she made sure that her team was put in the best position to succeed and made the most of the opportunity.
“Third base was my secondary position, so it wasn’t something that I wasn’t too uncomfortable with, but it was something that I perfected throughout the season with taking ground balls. I would have played anywhere if coach McFate let me, so I kept my head down and continuing to work hard and produce.”
As she has navigated through her high school softball career, Henke has found a lot of success most recently helping lead West Allegheny to a section title in 2024 while also garnering all-section honors for her play.
More: 2025 Beaver Valley high school baseball and softball standings
This season has been no different as the Ohio University softball commit is off to a hot start. She just collected her 100th hit to go with 100 RBIs in her career. A big reason for that success has been her ability to remain positive.
“I have tried not to take anything too seriously throughout the years,” Henke said. “I like to keep a positive mindset in and out of the dugout regardless of whether I am having a good game or not. Just because I have one bad game, I know that I can always come back from that and that it doesn’t define me.”
Throughout the past four seasons, Henke has grown as a player but what stands out more about her game is the way that she has grown as a leader.
Henke led quietly with her play out on the field the last three years. But now in her senior season, she is being called upon to be a vocal leader.
Ahead of the 2025 season, senior and Villanova softball commit Aubrey Police suffered an injury that would not allow her to play. That was when Henke stepped up and led the team with her voice on and off the field.
“We were put in a tough situation being without Aubrey and with a lot of our team being young, I had to be motivational for them,” Henke said.
Required Reading: Who are the Beaver County Times' top 20 softball players in the Beaver Valley?
Along with encouraging her teammates throughout a game, Henke’s leadership does not stop there. She has also been an extra set of eyes for the coaching staff.
From seeing different things from behind the plate when catching her pitcher to going to her coaching staff to talk about positioning and suggestions, for longtime West Allegheny head coach Mindi McFate, she is an invaluable asset to the team.
"I don’t know how many people you could have on staff, but you can’t see everything, especially in the batter's box. But Ava knows where our pitchers our hitting and if they are throwing well. She is relaying messages to our assistants and that is something that we could not do without her,” McFate said.
Now with the latter part of section play coming up, Henke and West Allegheny will look to make a push at another section title this year. Henke knows that with an improved offense heading into the last two weeks of section games, the team will have the ability to finish the season strong.
“We stepped our hitting against Montour but earlier in the week against Chartiers Valley we didn’t have our best offense,” Henke said. “Our hitting is one area that we want to continue to get better at and improve in over these next two weeks. "We need to keep a positive mindset when we are in the dugout and carry it onto the field.”
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: West Allegheny's Ava Henke helping team in several ways this season
Continue reading...
While her high school career did not start off in her primary position behind the plate, she ended up at third base and used that mindset and got to work. Each game Henke was at the hot corner, she made sure that her team was put in the best position to succeed and made the most of the opportunity.
“Third base was my secondary position, so it wasn’t something that I wasn’t too uncomfortable with, but it was something that I perfected throughout the season with taking ground balls. I would have played anywhere if coach McFate let me, so I kept my head down and continuing to work hard and produce.”
As she has navigated through her high school softball career, Henke has found a lot of success most recently helping lead West Allegheny to a section title in 2024 while also garnering all-section honors for her play.
You must be registered for see images attach
More: 2025 Beaver Valley high school baseball and softball standings
This season has been no different as the Ohio University softball commit is off to a hot start. She just collected her 100th hit to go with 100 RBIs in her career. A big reason for that success has been her ability to remain positive.
“I have tried not to take anything too seriously throughout the years,” Henke said. “I like to keep a positive mindset in and out of the dugout regardless of whether I am having a good game or not. Just because I have one bad game, I know that I can always come back from that and that it doesn’t define me.”
Throughout the past four seasons, Henke has grown as a player but what stands out more about her game is the way that she has grown as a leader.
Henke led quietly with her play out on the field the last three years. But now in her senior season, she is being called upon to be a vocal leader.
You must be registered for see images attach
Ahead of the 2025 season, senior and Villanova softball commit Aubrey Police suffered an injury that would not allow her to play. That was when Henke stepped up and led the team with her voice on and off the field.
“We were put in a tough situation being without Aubrey and with a lot of our team being young, I had to be motivational for them,” Henke said.
Required Reading: Who are the Beaver County Times' top 20 softball players in the Beaver Valley?
Along with encouraging her teammates throughout a game, Henke’s leadership does not stop there. She has also been an extra set of eyes for the coaching staff.
From seeing different things from behind the plate when catching her pitcher to going to her coaching staff to talk about positioning and suggestions, for longtime West Allegheny head coach Mindi McFate, she is an invaluable asset to the team.
"I don’t know how many people you could have on staff, but you can’t see everything, especially in the batter's box. But Ava knows where our pitchers our hitting and if they are throwing well. She is relaying messages to our assistants and that is something that we could not do without her,” McFate said.
You must be registered for see images attach
Now with the latter part of section play coming up, Henke and West Allegheny will look to make a push at another section title this year. Henke knows that with an improved offense heading into the last two weeks of section games, the team will have the ability to finish the season strong.
“We stepped our hitting against Montour but earlier in the week against Chartiers Valley we didn’t have our best offense,” Henke said. “Our hitting is one area that we want to continue to get better at and improve in over these next two weeks. "We need to keep a positive mindset when we are in the dugout and carry it onto the field.”
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: West Allegheny's Ava Henke helping team in several ways this season
Continue reading...
