In just her sophomore year, Brandon’s Jennie Sherman established herself among the best of the best in the state for Division 2 softball.
Sherman, a third baseman with the Blackhawks? varsity softball team, was selected by the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association for the Division 2 All State 2006 First Team. She was one of two sophomores among the 29 Division 2 players selected to the first team.
Another Blackhawk, recently graduated senior Jill Perry, was named to the honorable mention Division 2 team. This year, the Blackhawks won a district championship and advanced to the regional finals before losing to Livonia Ladywood.
‘Getting All-State was something I dreamed about when I was young,? she said. ‘I didn’t expect it to come this soon.?
Sherman set a Brandon school record for home runs in a season with five, and etched her name in the Michigan High School Athletic Association record books for doubles in a season (19) and home runs in consecutive at-bats (two).
She also led the Blackhawks in batting average (.480), hits (59), runs batted in (72), on-base percentage (.511) and slugging percentage (.772). Defensively, Sherman had 14 putouts, 42 assists, eight errors and an .875 fielding percentage.
‘She played a major role in our success with her leadership on and off the field,? Brandon coach Carl Gabrielson said. ‘She comes to play every day and gives 100 percent. She has a great work ethic and continues to improve her game.?
Gabrielson also said Sherman has been a willing team player, helping the Blackhawks at different positions on the field.
‘Jennifer played right field last year and played every inning for me, even though she had never played in the outfield,? he said. ‘This year, she went in to play third base for me when my regular third baseman went behind the plate.?
Even though Sherman made the move back to her normal third base position, she said her biggest progress came at the plate.
‘I started out in right field because that’s where my team needed me,? she said. ‘This year, I moved to third base. Honestly, hitting was my greatest improvement.
Sherman’s family has a long and storied history in Ortonville, as her grandfather, Charles Sherman, was a former mayor of Ortonville, and the namesake for the current Sherman Village Park in Ortonville, where Sherman said she first started learning softball at the age of seven.
She credits Gabrielson for giving her a chance to play on the Brandon varsity as a freshman.
‘He gave me an opportunity that other coaches wouldn’t,? she said. ‘He believed in me and did from the start. He talked to me about how I needed to play like I was a senior, and helped me to excel at a position I never played before.?
Sherman’s success comes as no surprise to Dave Cook, Sherman’s coach with the Oakland Sidewinders travel team as well as an assistant softball coach at Waterford Kettering.
‘She’s a leader by example ? she’s one of the hardest working kids on the team,? he said. ‘I think that’s why she became a quality player. She loves the game and works very hard at it. She’s one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen for a kid her age.?
In addition to Gabrielson and Cook, Sherman also said several other people helped make her into the player she is today: parents Jerry and Amy Sherman of Ortonville and coaches Ed Wojtkowicz and Ben Smith.
Brandon lost seven players this season due to graduation, and as such, Sherman’s two years of experience on the varsity will be all the more valuable to next year’s Blackhawk varsity.
‘I’m going to have to step up as a leader along with the two other seniors (Chelsea Wengren and Lauren Ross),? she said. ‘It’s going to be a challenge, but I think we can do it.?
In the meantime, Sherman will be playing third base for the Sidewinders this summer at various tournaments, including one this past week in New York which will feature 60 teams from five different states in the United States, as well as Canada.
As far as Sherman potentially playing softball at the college level, Cook said that she has a good chance of succeeding at that level because of her work ethic and performance in the classroom.
Cook said Sherman has attended winter camps at Miami of Ohio, Central Michigan University and Kent State University.
‘She’s actively trying to get herself out there,? he said. ‘She’s a solid student and has a high grade-point average, and that’s what coaches are looking for.?