Hannah Finley Made a Mark on Millis Softball

Having moved around quite a bit growing up, Hannah Finley found solstice in softball. Born in Indiana, Finley got involved in softball in the first grade when the family lived in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.
“Definitely, having my dad as my coach really helped me with all the moving we did,” Finley said. “I tried to find friends, but it was softball that helped me along. While I enjoyed softball, I found it hard to continually start all over in a new program and prove myself again each time we moved.”
Two years ago, Finley and her family were uprooted from Wisconsin and found their way to Millis, Massachusetts. Once again, the softball player was going to have to go through tryouts with yet another group of girls. Finley, who felt awkward walking onto the Millis field, just went out and focused on her hitting, and when then senior captain Alex Hill approached her and told her she had a good swing, the newcomer felt encouraged.
“In Wisconsin, I played in Division 2, but we were not good as we were just building the program. To come to Millis, a team with an established program that had won the states the year before was great,” she said. “It was weird for me at first, it always is, but the girls were open and responsive; I couldn’t ask for better teammates.”
Although things eventually worked out for the new girl in town, she was originally nervous thinking that no one would like her as she was out take someone’s spot on the team.
She had been an All-Conference athlete in Wisconsin at first base during her freshman year and at catcher her sophomore season. In her first season with the Mohawks, Finley played mostly third base, but occasionally saw some time at her natural position – catcher.
“Last year was a lot of fun playing the field again although it was frustrating at first trying to get used to it again, but once I got it going things just flowed,” Finley said.
Millis Coach RJ Maturo likes what he has seen from the two-year athlete.
“She does a tremendous job for us behind the plate,” the Mohawk Coach said. “She has great leadership qualities, a good knowledge of the game and instincts.”
While having fun with her Mohawk teammates, Finley almost didn’t come out for this, her senior campaign.
“I want to go to UMASS, Amherst for film, but schooling is so expensive and not getting any scholarships, I was going to get a job to earn some money,” Finley said. “When the team heard that I was thinking about not coming back this year, they told me that they needed me to make a run at the States. They drew me back in.”
Playing in upper level programs in Wisconsin, Finley not only liked the better competition but was always looking to improve her game. One area of her game that Maturo says she doesn’t need to improve upon, her arm behind the plate.
“She’s a very aggressive and defensive catcher behind the plate,” Maturo said. “She has great runner awareness and a very quick release from her knees. Not too many (maybe 2 or 3) have stolen bases on her.”
Finley agreed with her coach, but says that while not many will take the chance and test her arm, there is always one person who thinks they can beat her cannon. As a power hitter for Millis, batting anywhere from the three hole to the five, Finley batted .467 with a .677 slugging percentage.
Before she heads off to college next fall, where she may try to walk onto the UMASS softball team, Finley is hoping that her teammates were right when they talked her into coming back this spring to make a run at a State Championship.
Unfortunately for Finley and her Millis teammates Greater New Bedford knocked them out of the Division 3 South Tournament in the first round.