NEBRASKA CITY – Half of the Nebraska City High School student body turned out Wednesday afternoon for Hanna Marth’s signing ceremony to play softball at Northeast Community College in Norfolk.

Marth said she values her contacts in high school and she encouraged her schoolmates to continue supporting Pioneer softball. She described what it takes to be successful in softball.

 

 

 Marth: “Just the want to play, the want to have fun, the want to push each other. It’s definitely a hard sport.”

She said a short four-week high school season makes preparation all the more important. 


Pioneer Softball Coach Nick Schmitz said Marth is the 16th Pioneer to sign to play softball at the college level since 2019.

Schmitz: “Quietly, sneakily we’ve signed quite a few kids to advance their education through softball.”

Marth finished her senior season with a 459 batting average and six home runs. Both she and Johnson co-op player Kylie Beethe have been chosen for the Nebraska Coaches Association All-Star game, which is scheduled July 20.

Schmitz said the girls put a lot of time in during the offseason both hitting and defensive work.


Schmitz: “Hanna was a four-year starter for us, so she had a ton of experience. She started as a true freshman so she’s been a staple of the program the past four years and was a big piece of the success that we’ve had. She’s a very athletic girl, so she will do very well at the college level.”

Marth, who will join the Hawks in August, described signing day as a relief that sets her up to prepare for two more years of playing softball.