West Hempstead Alum Headed to Pro Softball League

West Hempstead High School alumni Kristyn Sandberg has taken another giant leap in her already impressive softball career – last week the superstar from the University of Georgia was taken fifth overall in the 2012 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) draft.

The 2008 West Hempstead graduate was selected by the USSSA Florida Pride with the first pick of the second round in Wednesday's draft. The team is based out of Kissimmee, Fla.

"It's a great honor to have been one of the 20 girls selected to play at the next level," Sandberg told Patch. "The NPF is an elite league with very talented players, including former olympians, and I feel priveleged to be able to play on the same field as these ladies every weekend."

"I thank the USSSA Pride for drafting me and giving this opportunity to play and be a role model for young girls aspiring to play professional softball," she added.

The University of Georgia Bulldogs are currently ranked seventh in the nation, according to the NCAA. Sandberg has been a large part of the team's success, batting a team-high .429 so far this season.

The 22-year-old catcher has been a four-year starter with the Bulldogs. According to the University of Georgia's website, Sandberg has a career batting average of .324, to go along with 84 runs, 117 RBI and 33 home runs.

"She is a student of the game so she will do well on in the pro league, and I couldn’t be more proud of her," Georgia head coach Lu Harris-Champer told GeorgiaDogs.com.

In her time at West Hempstead, Sandberg was a multi-sport athlete. She was a four-time All-County softball player and a member of the first team Long Island in her senior year.

Sandberg also played soccer and basketball at West Hempstead. As a senior, she was an All County basketball player, a member of the second team All-Nassau and the Conference Player of the Year.

The NPF is currently a four-team league featuring the best softball players in the country. According to the league's website, additional teams are expected to be added to the league in 2012 "due to on-going expansion efforts."