A dedicated ESPNHS team managed the Gatorade Softball Player of the Year selection process, resulting in this winner based on the program's three pillars: athletic production and impact in the 2011-12 season, high academic achievement and exemplary personal character.

For her 48 fellow Gatorade State Softball Player of the Year winners, click here.

THE WINNER: Kenzie Conrad

THE BASICS

School: Keystone (LaGrange, Ohio)
Grade: Senior
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Height: 5-foot-11

THE PILLARS

Athletic achievement: Conrad led the Wildcats (32-0) to the Division II state championship this past season. She posted a 25-0 record in the circle along with a 0.74 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 142 innings pitched. The 2011 Cleveland Plain Dealer Softball Player of the Year, Conrad also batted .485 with 11 home runs, 44 RBI and a 1.031 slugging percentage.

Academic excellence: Conrad has maintained a 3.64 GPA in the classroom.

Exemplary character: A member of the National Honor Society, the Varsity Club and her school’s Pep Club, she is a devoted parishioner in her church community and has volunteered locally as a youth softball coach.

THE PRAISE

“Kenzie Conrad is an outstanding pitcher with an incredible work ethic and a constant commitment to get better,” said Roger Wright, head coach at Vermilion (Ohio). “For a kid her age, she really understands the game beyond her years.”

THE FUTURE: Conrad has signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball on an athletic scholarship at the University of Akron this fall.