Ohio high school softball has a new queen of the long ball, and her name is Abby Herren.
The Centerburg senior shortstop made history on May 15, crushing her 24th home run of the season—a two-run blast in the third inning at Loudonville—to claim sole possession of the OHSAA single-season home run record. It’s a feat that puts her name atop the record books, breaking a mark that had stood as a benchmark for sluggers across the state.
But Herren, a Miami University signee, didn’t just swing for the fences. In that same 9-5 victory, she showed the all-around game that makes her special: going 1-for-2 with two walks (one intentional), a sacrifice fly, and scoring twice. The win gave Centerburg (22-3, 13-1) a share of the Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference championship with Danville—a team title to go with her individual glory.
“It’s awesome,” Herren said after hitting her 23rd homer the day before in a Division V district tournament win over Marion Pleasant. “It was very cool to see that from other girls growing up, but realistically it’s very hard to do. So just to be up there and have my name up there with all those other girls is really special to me.”
The record-setting swing came after a first-inning popout. With a 1-and-1 count, Herren sent a pitch to center field, scoring teammate Jaylan Parker and tying the game at 2. But she was just getting started. She scored on a fielder’s choice in the fourth, drew an intentional walk to lead off the sixth that sparked a three-run rally, and later drove in an insurance run with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Centerburg coach Chuck Shank summed it up best: “Not only is she a fantastic athlete, but she’s a fantastic person. She’s the ultimate team player. She roots for everybody. She is there for her teammates. She has made both of my years here enjoyable. I can’t wait to see how her future goes at Miami.”
Herren’s legacy is already etched in Ohio softball lore, but her season isn’t over yet. Centerburg faces a district semifinal on May 18, and with a swing like hers, the record might not be safe for long.