When she gets older, Lincoln-Way East freshman Maddie Henry wants to hit the ball as hard and as far as senior shortstop Katie Stewart.
Oh. Wait.
Henry already has four home runs this season. The latest was worthy of a tape measure.
“Yes, but Katie is definitely someone I look up to,” Henry said of the Texas recruit. “She’s someone my parents want me to look up to as well.”
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Both showed their power Tuesday as the Griffins rolled to an 11-1 SouthWest Suburban Blue victory over visiting Sandburg in Frankfort.
Henry hit a three-run homer and Stewart added a two-run homer for Lincoln-Way East (23-4, 11-1). Averi Vander Woude had two hits, while Maddy Hickey struck out six in four innings.
Emily Cossyleon contributed an RBI single for Sandburg (9-18, 4-9).
Stewart opened the scoring with a moon shot to left field in the first that drove home Vander Woude. Later in the inning, there were two runners on base when Henry went opposite field with a towering drive over the fence in right.
It was Henry’s latest big moment of many during a freshman season to remember.
“Honestly, I really didn’t know what to expect,” Henry said. “I just knew I was going into a good program. And with the hard work I put in over the past two years, my hitting is paying off.”
Henry, a third baseman, is batting .422 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. She has unquestionably lived up to the faith that Griffins coach Elizabeth Hyland put in her.
“It’s been wonderful having Maddie on the varsity,” Hyland said. “The issue is whether she could be as hardworking and dedicated and could play with players who are three years older.
“I think she has shown that she has the determination and the work ethic to put in and continuously just grow and get better throughout the season.”
The home run power? That was a bit of a surprise.
“We always tell them at first, ‘Hey, let’s look at contact,'” Hyland said. “It’s pitching they might not always see over the summer. It’s pitching they might not be used to.”
Henry got used to it in a hurry.
Comfort at the varsity level came on two different occasions.
The first came off the field.
“We do team dinners every week or so,” Henry said. “It was during our first team dinner. It was a Friday night, and we all really got along. I just felt safe there.
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“Then at the first game, I made my first couple of plays. That helped me get the shivers off. It made me feel good about where I was at.”
It didn’t hurt that she had a fellow freshman out there with her. Second baseman Mackenzie Bacha is also making a big mark as a varsity rookie, hitting .360 with a home run.
“Mackenzie and I played at Hickory together for three years,” Henry said. “We have a really good connection when we’re on the field and off the field. It’s nice to have someone you can turn to and relate to.”
Henry is also lucky enough to have someone who’s the equivalent of an older sister.
“Katie Stewart and I played for the same travel team for a little bit,” Henry said. “We weren’t on the same team, but we did train together for a bit.
“So we know each other on that end, we both went to Hickory, and she’s just an amazing player.”
Stewart watched — and heard about — Henry and figured the youngster could be an instant success at Lincoln-Way East.
“I knew she had power,” Stewart said of Henry. “A lot of people said she was like a mini-version of me. And she still has room to grow.
“Maddie’s got the grit. She’s got everything she needs to follow in my footsteps — and create her own legacy.”