Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Ex-Leopard's career will continue in Kentucky

By LARRY BUGG
Published October 5, 2005

Alex Hensley is finding himself in a new Kentucky home.

Hensley has started school and will play at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg.

Hensley was a pitcher and outfielder during his four years at Hernando High. The 2003 grad has a partial athletic scholarship to Cumberlands, an NAIA school.

The Baptist university was formerly known as Cumberland College. It changed the name this year. Hensley played at St. Johns River Community College in Palatka for two years. He had a 3.1 cumulative grade point average. Last season, he recorded one save and one loss as a relief pitcher.

Hensley played as a walk-on his freshman year at St. Johns, then received a scholarship for his second season.

The blue grass of Kentucky looks good to the 6-foot-3, 170-pound Brooksville native.

"Alex likes the area there," said his mother, Judy. "His father's family is from that area.

"He just loves the mountains and changes of season," she said.

Hensley, who will major in business administration, was used by the St. Johns team in save opportunities.

His father, Omer, said the player wrote letters to attract interest of Cumberlands.

In 2004, Cumberlands finished fourth nationally. In '05, the squad was 27th in the nation.

"I wanted to come to a better program," Hensley said of the school with an enrollment of 1,600. Hensley said the team has started conditioning. The regular season will begin in mid-February. "I like Brad Shelton," Hensley said of the Cumberlands head coach. "He is very outgoing and willing to work with you. I like his attitude.

"I'm hoping I can go somewhere with baseball after college. I would prefer to go as a player or become a coach."

Right now, his dad is excited about Hensley's pitching. "He has a lot of real good off-speed stuff," Omer said. "He has a splitter and slider to mix with his fastball. He was in the mid-80s last year with his fastball."

"We used to vacation up in that area a lot. That's what keyed him into the area.

"It's beautiful up there," Hensley's father said. "Williamsburg is a small town about the size of Brooksville."

[Last modified October 5, 2005, 01:14:17]