When faced with the choice of being the star player at a lower-echelon college or a role player on the Northwestern softball team, freshman Megan Hinck chose the Wildcats.

“When I decided to come here, my parents told me, ‘You probably won’t play that much,'” Hinck said. “But I told them I would be the water girl and still be perfectly happy on this team.”

After being the ace on her high school team, Hinck now has to work her way toward more playing time. One of three NU pitchers, Hinck is the late-game reliever and No. 3 starter. Sophomore Courtnay Foster and freshman Eileen Canney hold the top two spots in the Cats’ rotation.

“It makes me work harder because things aren’t given to me,” she said. “I work a lot harder than I ever worked in high school, and I played every game.

“I came from a high school where I was the only pitcher. It was actually kind of nice (coming to NU and) having two other girls with me. It took a lot of the pressure off.”

In addition to pitching, Hinck has become a jack-of-all-trades, filling time as a pinch runner and hitter.

“Megan is a great athlete and a great competitor,” NU coach Kate Drohan said. “She adds a lot of depth to our bench, and that will make a difference down the stretch. She’s ready for any situation, and I really like the confidence she has.”

Unlike the rest of the bench players, Hinck never knows what role she will be called on to fill.

“I spend a lot of time, when our team is on defense, on the sidelines hitting off a tee or warming up pitching or just throwing, just so I can be ready for anything,” she said.

Hinck developed her multi-threat approach to softball with help from her summer league coach, Ed Serder.

“He always told me if schools are deciding between two girls of equal ability at a certain position, they would take the one that can play something else because they’re worth more,” Hinck said.

A native of Hawthorn Woods, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, Hinck plays in front of family and friends — and her former teammates.

The entire Lake Zurich High School softball team was in attendance Saturday.

“I was a little nervous at first,” Hinck said. “Towards the beginning of the game, I actually had forgotten they were coming. But as soon as we were walking up and I saw all that blue, it hit me, and I remembered the whole program was coming.”

Other than having friends and relatives at games, Hinck said, there are other perks to playing locally.

“You can always tell a local girl, because after the game Sunday, I had two girls want to take pictures with me,” she said. “I felt like they should want to take pictures with Eileen or Courtnay, but they wanted to take pictures with me.”

Having someone from the Chicago area on the team also helps with recruiting, Drohan said.

“It’s the direction of the program right now to blend local talent with national talent,” she said.

As the season progresses, Hinck will be looking to showcase her talent.

Foster said midweek games should offer Hinck some time in the circle.

“Going into the rest of the season, if we can put up some big numbers, she should get a chance to get some innings in late in the game and gain some experience,” Foster said.

But Hinck said she will be happy no matter how much of the spotlight she receives.

“Hopefully I’ll get some work,” she said. “But if not, I’ll be happy to get them water.”