By LYNN GROLL (Crescent-News.com) –

COLUMBUS — Former Defiance High School softball standout Dee Dee Hillman spent four years of her prep career setting the table for the Bulldogs at the top of the lineup and now has taken her show nationally for The Ohio State University softballers.

Hillman will be part of history when the Buckeyes take the diamond later in the week at the University of Georgia for a Super Regional showdown with the Bulldogs.

“It just shows that hard work pays off,” said Hillman, a 2007 DHS graduate. “It just shows we can do anything we set our minds to. We want to put Ohio State on the map. We’re just representing where we came from and are just taking it one game at a time and playing up to our fullest.”

Ohio State and Georgia get their best-of-three series underway on Thursday at 7 p.m. Friday’s game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., and if necessary, game 3 will be Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The entire series is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN2.

Over the weekend at New Buckeye Field in Columbus, Hillman and the Buckeyes advanced to the Super Regional for the first time in program history with a 7-2 triumph over Kentucky on Saturday. Earlier in the tourney, the Buckeyes defeated Canisius and BYU.

“We are so excited,” said Hillman. “This is just like a dream come true. Of course, we realize our journey isn’t over until we reach the World Series and win the national championship that we wanted since game one just like every other team throughout the country. It’s just been our goal since day one to get to the College World Series and now we’re just taking it one step at a time. We’re honored to be in this spot we are right now and we’re so excited to go down to Athens, Ga. and play.”

OSU is currently 47-9 this season and ranked No. 11 in the nation with Hillman leading off and playing center field.

“I cannot say enough about how our kids have fought, persevered and worked through tough stuff,” said OSU head coach Linda Kalafatis in story on the Ohio State website. “We knew we had the ingredients. We knew we had some kids that really, really wanted this badly. Our leadership has been excellent and we feel like we are a veteran team. Even our young kids; they have mixed in well. We felt like if we stayed on the right path (this season), then we would do it.”

Hillman leads the team with prescription drugs without a prescription 16 stolen bases in 17 attempts while hitting .301 to go with a .399 on-base percentage. Hillman was rewarded for her performance this season on the diamond by being named All-Big Ten first team last week, one of a handful of Buckeyes to earn all-conference honors.

“I’m very honored and blessed,” said Hillman. “I got off to a slow start this season and I just said, you know what, just put it in God’s hands and keep pushing forward. Thankfully through a lot of prayer and working with fundamentals and practicing, I was able to get through that slump there.

“Thankfully I was able to pick it up there around Big Ten time and finally got confident. Five of us named to the Big Ten team in itself says a lot about our team. I was very honored to be named All-Big Ten first team.”

No related posts.