Softball: Forward-thinking Nommensen prepares for early departure

The "trade" doesn't thrill Warren softball.

But what Blue Devil isn't thrilled for Hannah Nommensen?

Warren is looking for a pitcher to replace the hard-throwing senior, who is graduating early. After she takes her finals in December, Nommensen will head to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The Blue Devils' ace the last two springs, she verbally committed to the Tar Heels before her junior softball season and signed her national letter of intent on Wednesday along with eight of her classmates at Warren's Almond Road campus.

Among the other student-athletes on hand were Nommensen's softball teammate Emily Hudgins. While the Blue Devils are losing Nommensen, they are regaining the services of the Penn State-bound Hudgins, who missed all but one game last season after tearing her labrum.

Nommensen started looking at the possibilities of graduating early at the end of the summer. She discussed it with UNC pitching coach Chelsey Barclay.

"She said, 'We might need a little help because we're not sure about two (injured) pitchers,' " said Nommensen, who pitched Warren to victory in the 2015 North Suburban Conference championship game. "I thought about it a long time, because it's a big decision to give up your senior year of high school softball."

Nommensen beefed up her first semester of senior year by taking two English classes and two math classes. While she'll miss competing for Warren in the spring, she looks forward to getting a head start on college.

"Either decision was going to be good," said Nommensen, who owns a 3.98 GPA (4.0) scale. "I just thought it's a good opportunity to go (to UNC) early. I have to give up senior prom and other senior stuff, but I'm OK with that."

Nommensen was a Daily Herald all-area selection as a sophomore and so was Hudgins, who committed to Penn State in late spring of her freshman year, despite having yet to play varsity softball. As a sophomore, the speedy Hudgins was the quintessential leadoff batter, demonstrating gap power along with the ability to slap-hit and steal bases.

But in the Blue Devils' season opener against Deerfield last spring at Barrington's Fields of Dreams, the center fielder tore her right labrum when she slid hard into third base after singling and stealing second.

"I slid and it popped out of the socket," Hudgins said.

"That's how hard she goes into the bag," Warren coach Jenna Charbonneau said.

Hudgins, who was recruited by Penn State as a shortstop, had surgery soon afterward and is still rehabbing. She has not been medically cleared to play softball but expects to be ready in time for the high school season.

"I'm feeling great," Hudgins said. "I'm doing really well throwing, and I'm working to speed up my velocity and working on strengthening all the little muscles in my shoulder. I'd say I'm pretty far along."

Several Big Ten schools were also interested in Hudgins her freshman year. But once Penn State offered and she visited its State College campus, she wasn't interested in pursuing more offers.

"When I saw the campus," she said, "I was set on it right away."