South Plainfield's Hughes is the HNT Softball Player of the Year

South Plainfield's Caity Hughes is every coach's dream.

The senior is a three-sport athlete for the Tigers, playing field hockey in the fall, basketball in the winter and softball in the spring. Hughes has been named the player of the year for field hockey twice, and this year she can add the 2017 Home News Tribune All-Area Softball Player of the Year to her resume.

"You’re not finding that kind of kid anymore, not a lot of kids play three sports and excel in all of them, she’s a great student, she’s just outstanding," South Plainfield softball coach Don Panzarella said. "I just think her athletic ability allows her to do these things. She’s very agile, she can do anything. We have a kid who worked hard and is willing to do what you want her to do for the team, and she goes out and does it at 100 percent."

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Hughes, who played in the outfield the past three years, moved to shortstop this season after her sister, Meghan, graduated. 

"It was interesting, it was fun because I used to play when I was younger. It took a little adjusting obviously, but it was really fun," Caity Hughes said. "I obviously was a little apprehensive for how long I had been playing outfield, but I knew we didn’t have anyone else, and I told coach that I would play if he needed me, and he did, so I did."

Hughes was the lead off hitter for the Tigers this season and finished with 53 hits, 43 runs scored, 25 RBI, six doubles, 11 triples, six home runs, 21 stolen bases, a .505 batting average and a .890 fielding percentage. She also set the school record with 172 hits. 

"Her speed alone, she’s a leader, she leads by example, she can get a base hit with her speed, she can hit in the gap, she steals bases, we’re not going to be able to replace her," Panzarella said. "She brings so much to the table, she’s an awesome lead off hitter." 

Hughes started playing softball when she was six or seven, and started playing field hockey and basketball through the town's rec leagues as soon as she could. Her sheer athletic ability helped South Plainfield immensely this season, as the Tigers finished with a 27-5 record, won the Greater Middlesex Conference White Division title at 13-1, advanced to the GMC Tournament final, won the NJSIAA North 2 Group III title, the Group III championship and played in the inaugural Tournament of Champions, but fell in the first round to Lodi Immaculate. 

"It was completely amazing, I don’t even know how to describe it," Hughes said of winning the Group III title. "We wanted to win the GMC Tournament and as soon as that was over we knew the only thing left was states, and we wanted to win something, so we did the best we could in states. Winning and knowing you were a state champion is an awesome feeling, and it’s indescribable."

In the Group III final against Steinert, South Plainfield rallied for the win in the bottom of the seventh, and Hughes played a big part. She led off the inning, advanced to second on a pick off attempt and took third on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs and two strikes, catcher Camryn Schaeffer hit a walk-off grounder to shortstop that scored Hughes and gave the Tigers a Group III championship. 

"I think everyone always has something they bring to the team, every day when I went on the field I gave my best, and that’s what I was taught, to give your hardest and do your best and that’s what I did," Hughes said. "I tried to be a leader for the team and I just helped my team anyway I could."

Hughes is headed to Georgian Court in the fall, where she'll continue her softball career, but she's confident the legacy the seniors will leave behind will continue to fuel South Plainfield in the years to come. 

"I think you want to be remembered for the team you had and the athlete you were. We broke a lot of records this year, and I’m proud of that, I hope people look back at our team as one of the best," Hughes said. "Going out onto the field and enjoying every moment is the most important thing, if you’re there and enjoying it, you’re going to do good and be successful, and when you play as a team, that’s how you’re going to see success. We played as a team and we played really well, we just clicked, and it just showed."

Staff Writer Lauren Knego: lknego@gannettnj.com; on Twitter: @laurenknego