Catching an opportunity
Butler's Miller opts for Pitt-Greensburg

By John Enrietto 
Eagle Sports Editor 

BUTLER TWP — With plenty of options, Jennifer Miller wasted little time finding a home. 
Butler High School's senior softball catcher will continue her academic and softball career at Pitt-Greensburg next year. 
Miller hit .333 for the Golden Tornado last spring and has hit approximately .350 in her three years as a varsity starter. Her .422 average as a freshman led the team. 
“She's always been a solid hitter in the middle of our lineup,” former Butler softball coach Shauna Troup said. “Jennifer produces runs and hits a lot of doubles.” 
Miller has 45 RBI and 17 doubles in her varsity career to date. 
Besides Pitt-Greensburg, schools such as Bethany, Washington & Jefferson, Fairmont State, Allegheny, Alderson-Broaddus and Division I Akron had expressed interest in Miller. 
“Some of them were on me pretty good, but Pitt-Greensburg really wanted me to come and the academics fit me there,” Miller said. “I'm not going to be able to play softball for a living. 
“Someday I'm going to have to pay the bills and I need to prepare for that.” 
Miller carries a 4.2 grade point average and plans to major in the science, biology or chemistry field. 
She has been a catcher since the age of 7. 
“I played baseball until I was 12,” Miller said. “None of the boys wanted to put on the gear back when I was 7, so I said I'd try it. I've been a catcher ever since.” 
She's been a pretty good one at that. 
“Very strong behind the plate,” Troup said. “Jen allows very few passed balls and she's an intelligent player. 
“She's not a fast runner, but she runs the bases well. Being a catcher, she anticipates when to try to steal a base. She knows the game extremely well.” 
Chuck Myers is the new women's softball coach at Pitt-Greensburg. The team is coming off a 16-21 season and went two-and-out in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament. The program has not won an AMCC Tournament game since 2012. 
Seneca Valley graduate Alyssa Panza, a Pitt-Greensburg outfielder, was AMCC Newcomer of the Year as a freshman last spring. She hit .333. 
“When I had an overnight recruiting visit with the team, Alyssa is who I stayed with,” Miller said. “I got to know her and the team a little bit. I'm looking forward to going there. 
“The coaches have said I can compete for the starting catcher's job as a freshman. They said they want my bat in the lineup.” 
Miller hit her first high school home run last season. 
“All I want to do is contribute and help the team as best I can,” she said of playing in college. “I'm excited to get this decision done with and focus on my senior year.” 
Miller played travel softball with the Legend team, based out of Armstrong County, the past two summers. She will play for the Butler Sting next summer.