A dedicated ESPNHS team managed the Gatorade Softball Player of the Year selection process, resulting in this winner based on the program's three pillars: athletic production and impact in the 2011-12 season, high academic achievement and exemplary personal character.

For her 48 fellow Gatorade State Softball Player of the Year winners, click here.

THE WINNER: Kristen Brown

THE BASICS

School: MacArthur (Levittown, N.Y.)

Grade: Senior

Position: SS/RHP

Height: 5-foot-9

THE PILLARS

Athletic achievement: Brown led the Generals to a 20-4 record entering the Class AA Long Island Championship Game against East Islip, scheduled for June 5. She owned a .564 batting average with 14 home runs and 42 RBI at the plate, and an 8-3 record with a 2.27 ERA in the circle through 24 games. Brown is a two-time First Team All-Long Island selection and was a Second Team All-State honoree as a junior.

Academic excellence: Brown has maintained an A-minus average in the classroom.

Exemplary character: Also a volleyball standout, she has raised funds for breast cancer research and volunteered locally collecting Christmas gifts for needy children.

THE PRAISE

“Brown is the kind of kid you don’t worry about getting a hit every time, you worry about her getting a home run every time,” said Mike Muscara, head coach at rival Mepham (Bellmore, N.Y.). “She’s very good as a pitcher and she’s a tremendous shortstop. I’ve been coaching 30 years and she’s one of the top five players I’ve ever seen.”

THE FUTURE: Brown has signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball on scholarship at the University of North Carolina this fall.