Fairfield’s Simpson chooses Indian Hills

FAIRFIELD — Fairfield’s Hannah Simpson is a lot of things. She’s a senior, a power hitter, a former Southeast Conference champion, All-Stater and state qualifier in the sport of softball. In the 2022-23 school year, she’ll be an Indian Hills Warrior.

Simpson made her decision known on Friday when she signed her letter of intent to attend and play softball at Indian Hills Community College.

Simpson said her decision revolved around the Warriors’ recent success on the softball field under head coach Lindsay Diehl.

The Warriors have been regional champions five times in the last 10 years. They’ve been tournament qualifiers in four of the last 10, and went 41-13 last season.

“I really fell in love with Coach Dile, and it just felt like home when I went on the visit,” Simpson said. “It just kind of stuck to me.”

Simpson plans echo many who have taken the local Junior College road before her. She wants to spend two years with the Warriors with hopes of winding up in NCAA’s Division 1 for her last two.

“It was a business decision,” Simpson said. “Going JUCO and transferring to D1 after, that’s goal. She has a really good success rate on sending kids to the next level.”

Simpson has been a varsity player for the Trojans since her eighth-grade season. In her junior year, Simpson hit .458 with 15 doubles nine home runs and 64 RBIs. That RBI total put her tied for first in Class 4A.

“She's been a good player from Day One,” said Fairfield head coach Bob Bradfield. “She was one of our best players when she was an eighth-grader, and obviously still is.”

Coach Bradfield says the key to Simpson’s success is that, although she’s a power hitter, she can hit for average with the best of them.

“She has been a good hitter for average,” Bradfield said. “Even if she didn't have power, she would still be valuable, but obviously when you throw in home runs and doubles and so forth, that just adds more to it.”

Simpson says her plans after school are to go into dentistry, a dream she has had since she was just 5-years old.

Before all this happens, however, Simpson and the Trojans have more to win on the high school fields. Fairfield went 25-13 overall and 16-4 in league play last year. They made it to the regional final before falling one-game short of back-to-back state trips.

Simpson says she is already looking forward to the summer when the Trojans can take the field again.

“I'm more than excited to play this season,” Simpson said. “I can't sleep these days.”