Buffalo's Emily Hansen is Star Tribune Metro softball player of the year

Talking softball in the moments after delivering a game-winning two-run double, Buffalo shortstop Emily Hansen let slip the secret of her remarkable talent for putting bat to ball.

Three simple words, common in ball vernacular but magic when combined with her myriad skills.

"Eyes at contact," Hansen said with her usual infectious laugh. "That's all you need."

One thing about this secret, however: The power she derives from those words happens only when she hears them from her father, Darren.

"I've been playing softball since I was, like, 5 years old and my dad was my coach. He's the most simple coach ever," Hansen said. "That's what he said to me before that hit."

Can anyone inspire her with the magic phrase?

"It works when I hear it from my dad," she said with a smile.

Of course, there's more to Hansen's success than a few cogent words. There's a tireless work ethic that often finds her taking swings long after teammates have gone home. There are natural gifts, too, such as the hand-eye coordination of a master juggler and the ability to generate power with the most economical of swings.

Her numbers this year are typically exceptional: a .509 batting average, 15 home runs, 36 RBI and 2.012 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), reflecting her ability to get on base and hit for average and power.

That batting average might be even higher if opponents were inclined to pitch to her. She's been intentionally walked 13 times and pitched around even more.

Not that she minds. Despite her gaudy numbers and outsized reputation, Hansen's universe is devoid of anything resembling an ego. Buffalo coach Brad Zrust marvels at how calmly she deals with rarely seeing a pitch she likes.

"I wrote her a text once and said it's got to be frustrating," Zrust said. "She just said 'A walk is as good as a hit.' ''

"I tell people 'I'm coaching Roy Hobbs right now and I don't even know it,' " said Zrust, comparing Hansen to the central character in the classic Bernard Malamud novel "The Natural."

Sarah Hudson is Hansen's best friend on the team, a lifelong softball buddy and a fair player in her own right, posting a .556 batting average with seven home runs, including three grand slams, and 33 RBI. She knows much of her success can be traced to Hansen, whether it's because she hits directly behind her in the batting order or simply that she's often along on the hard-work binges that frequently include postgame batting practice.

"She's phenomenal," Hudson said. "She's been my best friend for forever. She hits all the time, and she's got to have a partner to hit with. Just last week after a game, she said 'I'm going to have to go to the [batting] cage.' I said 'I think your dad is going to have to take you. I'm tired.' "

It's all part of what makes Hansen the player she is, Hudson said. "She has everything: the athletic ability, the persistence, the perfection she strives for. It's insane."

The way Hansen sees it, the stats and the reputation and the success are all in the pursuit of something bigger. Her skills have landed her a scholarship to play for the University of Minnesota — "my lifelong dream," she said.