The Northern Lehigh softball team calls the position of shortstop "Queen of the Diamond."

This past season, that position belonged to sophomore Kaitlin Hoffman.Hoffman was not only the "Queen of the Diamond" for her team this season, but after a sensational campaign, Hoffman is now "Queen of the Times News area."A complete player - offensively, defensively and from the pitching circle - Hoffman has been named the 2016 Times News Softball Player of the Year.Much like in baseball, statistics are sacred to the game of softball. It's all about numbers, and this season Hoffman's numbers were video game-like.At the plate, the Colonial League First Team all-star was a pure artist. She brought tenacity and focus to each at-bat. If her bat was a brush and the field was her canvas, then her paintings would be selling for quite the pretty penny in some Manhattan art studio.The sophomore hit an amazing .627 (37-for-59) on the year with five home runs and 27 RBIs, while batting in the three spot in the Bulldogs' lineup. She scored 24 runs and stole 16 bases. Perhaps her most impressive statistic is that she didn't strike out at all during her team's 22 games."All she ever wanted to do was hit, hit, hit," said Northern Lehigh head coach Bob Hicks. "She was always asking me to hit at practice; she's really passionate about it. She was just so confident and consistent at the plate this season, which gave the other girls confidence when they got up there. She literally led by example for us at the plate."Don't think for a second that just because Hoffman is great at the plate that she doesn't put that same type of focus into her fielding. Hoffman had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage at the "Queen of the Diamond" position and a .950 fielding percentage at pitcher.Both positions require quick reflexes and an accurate arm, and most of all, present a challenge.Challenges, however, are something that Hoffman more than welcomes."I really like to be challenged and I'm very competitive, so I really like playing shortstop and making plays," Hoffman said. "Playing there is just so much faster paced, which is what I like."What Hoffman likes least is pitching. Despite that, she also excels in the circle.In 49 innings, the sophomore finished with a 1.12 earned run average. She posted a 5-4 record and struck out 67 batters."To be honest, I really don't even like pitching," said Hoffman. "I do it because I want to help my team, and they did a great job backing me up throughout the season."I just went out there and tried to do my best every time. I tried to put my team in a position to win the game."Dedication might be the biggest reason for Hoffman's success so far in her young career. She plays close to 100 games in the offseason with a traveling softball team out of the Whitehall area. Pair that with a constant lifting regiment and what you get is a dominant effort in all three phases of the game."I just really love this sport," Hoffman said. "I love how you get the team aspect in the field and then the individual part when you're at the plate. We have a great group of girls that I know will continue to work hard as well. I'm excited for the future we have."Consistent play in hitting, fielding, and pitching can go a long way for a softball team. That proved to be true with Northern Lehigh, who posted a 12-10 record and reached the district playoffs.A team that performs well in all three phases of the game can be found pretty regularly, but an individual not so much.Kaitlin Hoffman is truly a "jack of all trades."Strike that, she's a "queen of all trades."