Auburn baseball’s Brody Hensel is this year’s Mt. Empire District and Region C player of the year.
He finished the season batting .514 with 26 extra base hits including 11 doubles, 11 triples and four home runs. He was tied for the team lead with 30 Runs Batted In and 40 runs scored.
For most of the season, he split his time between first base and outfield.
His coach, Eric Altizer, points out Hensel had an incredible career and was also MED and Region C POY in 2024, second team All State in 2023, and first Team All State in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
“He is the most deserving player we have ever had at Auburn. He will be going to Concord to play in the fall,” Altizer said.
But that Concord career could be delayed.
He was playing with a summer league team in Danville last Friday night and got hit with a pitch near his right eye.
His mother posted an update on social media on the injury and his long recovery.
“After multiple doctor appointments with specialists this week, we are headed to UVA to meet with a team of specialists and preparing for surgery the latter part of next week. He will need a titanium plate placed in his cheekbone area; there is a fracture that splintered, causing a bone spur to intrude into his eye muscles – he actually has four periorbital fractures that are not aligned to heal correctly without surgery. A team of doctors from UVA, which includes a craniofacial surgeon and an oculoplastic surgeon among the team of trauma surgeons, will be included during and will help with performing his operation. He has a long road to a full recovery ahead of him,” she said.
