2025 NewsTribune Softball Player of the Year: Henry-Senachwine’s Lauren Harbison

Henry-Senachwine senior Lauren Harbison admits that she gets “extremely nervous” going into big games.

But she does her best to set her emotions aside when she steps on the field.

“Before the games, we were told to give our nerves and our anxiety to somebody else, and that’s what I did,” Harbison said. “I was just going to play, and after the game I could feel the excitement again. Until the game was over, I had no feelings.”

That mentality worked as Harbison delivered big time for the Mallards in the postseason.

Harbison won four postseason games, striking out double-digit batters in every playoff game. She also contributed at the plate, hitting a grand slam as Henry knocked off defending Class 1A state champion Ridgewood, and scoring one of the Mallards’ two runs in their sectional championship win.

“I feel like when I’m under pressure, it honestly makes me play better,” Harbison said. “I feel like I played better in the postseason than I did in the regular season.”

She helped lead the Mallards to back-to-back regional titles for the first time and the program’s first sectional championship.

“You could always count on Lauren to come through,” Henry coach Lori Stenstrom said. “She just has that competitive nature and goes out there saying, ‘I’m going to get this done.’ She never had self-doubt. She was confident in what she was doing.”

She led the area in wins with a 21-4 record and strikeouts with 277 in 168 innings and was second in ERA at 1.13. Harbison ranked in the top 10 in the area in home runs (5), triples (5), doubles (8) and runs scored (35), and hit .408 with 20 RBIs and 13 steals as she helped Henry set a school record for wins at 25-4.

For all she accomplished this season, Harbison is the 2024 NewsTribune Softball Player of the Year. She is the first Mallard to win the award since its inception in 1997.

“This was the best season she’s ever had,” Stenstrom said. “She just got better and better as the season went along and as we got into the postseason. I just felt that she threw harder. She was just determined as we got into the postseason. I’m really happy with how she progressed.”

Harbison entered the season with the goal of eclipsing 200 strikeouts for the season, which she did not accomplish in her previous three years.

She blew past that number as she neared 300 strikeouts and broke Henry’s career strikeout record.

“I feel like I was able to have more control over my pitches, spots and spins, speed, everything,” Harbison said.

Harbison attributes that control to practice, working with Stenstrom and offseason work with her father.

“I practiced my riseball, getting the right grip on the ball and practicing my spin and knowing what I had to do to get it to rise and do what I wanted it to,” Harbison said.

Stenstrom said she did a nice job getting ahead of hitters.

“We talked about first-pitch strike,” Stenstrom said. “We tracked that and there were games she faced 30 batters and 28 of them got a first-pitch strike, so she got ahead early in the count.”

Harbison also excelled as Henry’s leadoff hitter after an offseason where she put in extra cage work with teammates Kaitlyn and Brynna Anderson.

“I worked on load and getting my back hip involved for power,” said Harbison, who hit for the cycle against Stark County.

With pop in her bat this spring, she was a catalyst for the Henry offense.

“We batted her first because she’s fast and she gets on most of the time,” Stenstrom said. “If she gets on, then we’re going to steal and stuff like that.”

Harbison will continue her softball and volleyball careers at IVCC, but said she’ll miss suiting up for Henry.

“Everybody keeps telling me that I have two more years at least of sports, but I don’t think it’s going to be quite like it was at Henry,” Harbison said. “I’ll definitely miss the bonds, the friendships, the coaches and the support from the community. It’s something that I’m very grateful to have had.”