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Sunday, May 26, 2002

By Pohla Smith, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Shortstop Brad Hensler, a Chartiers Valley graduate, may be the most versatile player with the new Washington Wild Things, an independent minor-league team that will open play Wednesday night at Falconi Field.

	Brad Hensler Plays shortstop, and elsewhere

"Brad is such a good athlete, he could play anywhere -- third base, second base, really all four infield positions," Manager Jeff Isom said. "Even with the [New York] Mets [farm system], he played catcher."

Hensler, 24, of Bridgeville, also played a little outfield last season, which he began with the Mets' rookie league affiliate in Kingsport, Tenn., and finished with the Capital City Bombers, a Class A team in Columbia, S.C.

What he didn't play was regularly, at least not in Columbia. "I'd been a backup utility man and never played," Hensler said.

Now, with a chance to take the field often -- and before friends and family -- Hensler probably would even learn to pitch if Isom asked.

"I'll do what I can to make the team and get a chance to play," he said late in the Wild Things' two-week training camp.

The likelihood that he would not play regularly with a Mets affiliate this year is why he asked for his release after the end of regular spring training. Instead of sending him to Columbia or some other affiliate, team officials said they wanted him to stay in Florida for extended spring training.

"I'd already pretty much made up my mind it was probably not in my best interest to stay," Hensler said. "I was dead-set on getting a job."

A 2000 graduate of Allegheny College, he already had worked for seven months in asset management for Mellon Bank before he left for his first spring training in January 2001.

But then he heard about the Wild Things and talked with members of the front office. He decided he could put his job search off for at least a little while longer.

"It's great to be here, part of a new team," he said.

For fans, too. Hensler is the only player on the roster from a WPIAL school.

He had established himself locally, playing shortstop his last two years at Char Valley and leading the Colts into the playoffs as a senior. He was solid on defense and offense that final season, batting .463 with 24 RBIs, 25 runs, six triples, five doubles and four home runs. He was a shoo-in for the PG South All-Star team.

Graduating with a 3.7 grade point average, Hensler chose Allegheny College for its academics, not its athletics. It is an NCAA Division III school and thus prohibited from offering sports scholarships. But he played baseball, anyway -- even better than he had in high school.

He started at third base as a freshman, then was switched to shortstop his last three years. A serious hamstring pull caused him to miss most of his junior year and, probably, a chance at getting drafted the following year.

Hensler went out in style as a senior. He led his team to third place in the Division III College World Series and was named a Division III first-team All-American. He led his team in nearly every offensive category: a .432 batting average, 14 doubles, 10 home runs, 54 RBIs and a .728 slugging percentage in 169 at-bats. He wasn't too shabby on defense, either, making just 10 errors in 222 chances for a .955 fielding percentage.

After graduation, he went to work with Mellon and played baseball for Calabria's in the semipro Greater Pittsburgh Federation League and in the McKeesport Daily News League.

Then the Mets came calling. One of the first things they did was switch him from shortstop to catcher.

"They said I don't run like a shortstop," he said. "I'm slow for the prototypical shortstop and faster than the average catcher."

The Mets may have done him a favor, adding one more position to the repertoire the Wild Things find attractive. But Isom said Hensler was in the midst of a spirited competition for starting shortstop.

He also had a good spring training on offense. "He's hitting real well," Isom said.