Can Janet Taylor hit? A resounding yes. As a senior on the softball team at Hanover High, she swung at a .564 clip to power the Indians to the Patriot League title. Her hitting prowess has continued at Washington University in St. Louis. As a freshman, she batted .311 in limited action, and followed that up with a .383 mark last spring. The junior outfielder is hitting .425 for the 34-10 Bears, who are ranked 24th in Division 3. She also paces Washington with five home runs and 42 RBIs, while also contributing six doubles and three triples. Starting all 44 games in center field, Taylor has hit safely in 38 of 44 games, had a career-best 21-game hitting streak, and her 22 walks have tied the program record. She is a first-team University Athletic Association selection.

Q. Why Washington University?

A. I visited probably over 40 college campuses over the four years I was in high school. I found WashU when I joined the Central Mass Rapids softball team with my coach Mike Lavallee. WashU was my last college visit. I did an overnight in St. Louis during my senior year of high school and before I even got on the plane to come home, I knew I was going to WashU.

Q. What is the best thing about the school?

A. The team atmosphere was very competitive, the girls on the team were like a family. There are so many intelligent people in so many different disciplines and the academic atmosphere pushed people to accomplish great things.

Q. You are having a great year at the plate . . . are you doing anything differently?

A. I have been focusing on being more aggressive early in the count as well as working on my rhythm and being confident at the plate.

Q. What is the team goal?

A. The goal is always a national championship but this year I think the goal is to be aggressive offensively throughout each game.

Q. Do you have a favorite moment from your career at Hanover High?

A. Definitely winning the Patriot League my senior year and beating Hopkinton in the tournament.

Q. How do you balance academics while playing a varsity sport?

A. It all comes down to time management. There’s usually no free time in my day because I need to be doing a problem set or studying for a test before I go to practice or leave for a weekend road trip. Freshmen year I learned how to find that balance in my day-to-day life.

Q. What is the major skill set that you bring to the field?

A. I’m an extremely hard worker and I think I lead by example because of that. My competitive nature pushes myself and others to work harder and to become a better player in the weight room, at the plate, and on the field.

Q. As a chemical engineering major, what has been your toughest class?

A. Mass Transfer Operations. It’s a chemical engineering class with a lot of application for chemical separations. It’s one of my favorite classes but also my toughest class.

Q. Any plans for the summer?

A. I have an engineering internship with L’Oreal in operations management at their largest plant in North America in Little Rock, Ark.

Q. What do you like to during your spare time?

A. When I’m not playing softball or doing school work, I have a couple of jobs on campus tutoring and in the athletics department. I am also involved in my sorority (AOII) and I am on the Panhellenic Executive Board on my campus.

JOHN JOHNSON

For full interview, go to bostonglobe.com/south.