A dream came true on Monday, April 24, when senior Hannah Flippen of the No. 10 University of Utah softball team was drafted by the Scrap Yard Dawgs in the 2017 National Pro Fastpitch Draft. The infielder was taken as the No. 17 overall pick. The Scrap Yard Dawgs were established as a team in 2015, and they are based in Conroe, Texas.
“[Getting picked] was awesome,” Flippen said. “I think it is really cool to be drafted and to be honored like that. I just hope that I can grow the game and help with that, and get more people out to softball games, and give softball more of a voice.”
Utah head coach Amy Hogue was not only excited for Flippen to be drafted, but for the entire Utah program. Hogue said she expected Flippen would be selected, and Flipppen’s soon-to-be former coach added that the Dawgs got a great player.
“They made a great choice even if she is only available for part of the summer because she is on the United States National Team,” Hogue said. “It makes it difficult for some of those kids to be impact players, but she got selected anyways which just goes to show how good she is.”
Since Flippen won’t be available for all of the summer, Hogue sees the Dawgs possibly using her as a utility player. Hogue believes Flippen will succeed in whatever role she is asked to play, because she has every part of the game figured out.
“I think she has every bit of what you need out of a utility player, because she can play multiple positions,” Hogue said. “She also has speed and power as a hitter, as an offensive player, so she will be a perfect utility kid.”
While Hogue recognizes the hard work Flippen puts into the game, Flippen hopes what she does on the field is not the only thing she has success in. Being a teammate who those around her can look up to is something she is hoping to accomplish on and off the field.
“This year, that has been my biggest thing — just being there for all of my teammates and showing them what a leader is suppose to do and how a leader is suppose to handle themselves,” Flippen said. “Hopefully they take some of my advice and repeat it next year.”
The numbers Flippen has been able to produce show how much her hard work is paying off. Flippen currently leads the Pac-12 with a batting average of .431 and on-base percentage of .517, but it’s not the numbers that Flippen will need to rely on at the next level according to Hogue.
“I think the only thing I would recommend is that she goes and be herself,” Hogue said. “If she tries to do anything different from what she has done her whole life, that would be the only thing that would get in her way of being successful at the next level.”
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