Growing up, Hannah Greer, a fast-rising 2023 sophomore infielder at John Jay-EF High in Hopewell Junction, New York, spent many summer weekends in her childhood on the beaches in Rhode Island.
Her family would pack up the car and fight the Friday night traffic taking the three hour-plus drive through Connecticut to Rhode Island’s Green Hill Beach where her family had a summer home.
On most trips, Hannah and her brother Harrison would fall asleep in the backseat on the way and would wake up in the morning excited to see they arrived at their favorite place.
Hannah’s memories of her time at the beach with her family are priceless, spending time with her grandfather, aunts, uncles and cousins having great family breakfasts, taking long beach walks, kayaking, riding the waves in the frigid Rhode Island waters and, of course, having a catch with her Dad in the back yard or—better yet—on the beach.
She recalls fondly that family get-togethers.
“One of my favorite memories was when we rode go carts. My family including my cousins, aunts, and uncles, would visit the go cart track and we would race each other. Since I’m the youngest I had to ride with my dad and everyone would always pass us. Another favorite memory of mine is going boogie boarding in the ocean. My cousins and I would stay in for the ocean for hours and when we’d come out we’d have rashes from the boards but it was totally worth it.”
The house was sold several years ago so it’s ironic that Hannah finds herself making the three-hour trek back to Rhode Island on most weekends to practice with her team, the Rhode Island Thunder 16U National Team coached by Dave Lotti.
Some of my favorite fielding clips from the fall. Missing my girls and being on the field so much! @RITG16unational @thunderjam134 @BobRossiRITG @bhallsball @Los_Stuff @BrenttEads pic.twitter.com/hiNU2bDVTD
— Hannah Greer (@hannahgreer014) December 3, 2020
Hannah’s family ties to Rhode Island go back over 100 years. Her great-grandmother, Lena Petrarca Schulthies was born on Christmas Day in 1925 in Cranston, Rhode Island. She was the 10th child in the line of 13 children and become known as a great athlete.
Lena loved softball and played shortstop, just as Hannah does today. Back in the 1940’s, Lena and four of her sisters played for the Natick Girls softball team and in 1945 the team compiled a perfect 18-0 season, playing their games at the old Natick Field in West Warwick.
The talent was passed on through the family line and, until her passing in 2017 at age 92, Lena was Hannah’s biggest fan and greatly enjoyed watching her great-granddaughter play the game she loved.
Hannah started playing baseball when she was 6 and her parents knew she had natural ability when she hit a line drive and dropped her coach, who was pitching at the time, to the ground.
She developed an intense love for the game not only by playing it but by watching baseball every night with her Dad, who, as a New Yorker, was a diehard Yankee fan.
Hannah moved to playing softball with the local recreation center team, playing for its All-Star team then joined the Empire State Huskies travel program at the age of 9.
Her athleticism and game IQ insured her placement on a team above her age group, and she has always playing with girls one to two years older than herself. That would also prove to be the case as she entered high school making the high school JV team as a 7th grader and then the Varsity team as an 8th grader.
Hannah also has played four years of high school varsity soccer and is planning on running winter track this year.
In 2019 Hannah joined the Rhode Island Thunder Northeast program coached by Brittany Allocca, an accomplished player for Hofstra University from 2015-2018. Over the year, Hannah worked closely with Brittany to develop her skills as an infielder which then caught the eye of the Thunder’s head man, Dave Lotti.
The organization head was putting together a 16U National Team to compete in tournaments across the nation and Hannah joined Lotti’s team in the fall of 2020.
A swing from today in 35° weather… I couldn’t feel my hands or toes but I’m glad to be able to post this bomb! @RITG16unational @thunderjam134 @elise_hitting @BobRossiRITG @bhallsball @Los_Stuff @BrenttEads @ExtraInningSB pic.twitter.com/JsBWgT7FBg
— Hannah Greer (@hannahgreer014) December 6, 2020
It has been an impressive ride thus far.
“I’ve loved playing on the Thunder,” Hannah begins. “As a team we’ve banged heads with some of the best competition in the country. We went 4-0-1 in Arizona against some of the best like the Corona Angels, A’s- Mercado and American Pastime- Perez teams. I feel like our play this fall definitely earned us a spot as a Top 10 team at the 16u level.”
Going to many of the top club tournaments in the nation also gave the athlete a chance to check out several universities as she’s fast approaching the time she’ll be recruited.
“Our traveling this fall helped to see a lot of campuses I wouldn’t normally get to visit,” Hannah explains. “I visited Arizona State, South Carolina and Coastal Carolina just from being close to them because of tournaments. In the new year, I’m planning to visit a bunch of schools which I’m excited about.”
The fall season started with six intense weeks of training in Rhode Island, roughly three days of 16-plus intense hours per week, followed by seven competitive tournaments in six states over an eight-week period from October through November.
The 16U team ended the fall with a 28-7-2 record and the New Yorker impressed her new coaching staff.
“Hannah had her first experience with high end competition with us this fall and adapted extremely quickly… faster than most,” Coach Lotti told Extra Inning Softball this week.
The 2023 grad finished the fall season at the plate with an OBP of .440 including three home runs, 11 RBIs, 21 stolen bases and 17 walks. She also compiled a .951 fielding percentage and helped turn three double plays.
“She’s a solid kid who you can tell played baseball at a young age. She has all the tools to hit for power, average and is very smooth defensively,” he continues. “Hannah has tons of versatility and can play any infield or outfield position.”
Hannah says her outfield skills help her on the infield and her infield skills help her when playing outfield and she’s noted for her quick feet and hands that make her a force to be reckoned wherever she lines up.
Coaches also rave about how Hannah has good instincts running the bases and is becoming a powerful hitter, thanks to the training she’s getting from Elise Fortier in the Thunder organization.
“I worked with her on my hitting for only about six sessions before being live in games in six different states all over the country,” Hannah explains. “In the first tournament since changing my swing, I hit my first home run. And two more followed during the season. For me it’s means a lot because when I was younger it was suggested to become a slapper and I was told that I “couldn’t hit home runs” because I ‘didn’t have the power.’ I’m glad that I stayed righty and showed that I can hit for power too.”
“We are expecting this first year 16U to make big contributions next summer for us,” Lotti concludes, “and Hannah, is a key part of it. She is definitely a Power 5 talent.”
More on Hannah
- Grew up in Dutchess County, New York (70 miles north of New York City)
- 1st place in the 2018 Pitch, Hit & Run MLB Competition Sectional Qualifier at Yankee Stadium (13/14 year age group)
- Last year carried a 4.3 average at John Jay High School in East Fishkill, New York
- Member of National Junior Honor Society 2018-2020
- 2019 President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence
- 2018 USSSA- Futures All American Games- Northeast National Team/12U
- 2017 USSSA- Futures All American Games- Northeast American Team /11U
- 2018/2019- Varsity soccer & softball as an 8th grader
