Massapequa valedictorian Samantha Portz now shifting focus to softball state title

She wants to bring home a star spangled state banner.Outfielder Samantha Portz, Massapequa’s valedictorian who is bravely joining the military after playing college softball at Amherst, wants to add one more accolade to her graduation gown this month: the Chiefs’ first New York State softball title.“I like challenging myself,” Portz, a captain with a 101.34 grade point average and .482 batting average, told The Post.“Anything I can do to just help this team — move runners over when we can, or just situationally hit, that’s what I’ll do,” she said.Portz and the rest of her 21-5 Chiefs team will take on Albany area’s Shenendehowa (19-2) in the semifinals Friday afternoon, with the championship the next day, should the Long Island title winners advance.The excitement in town is doubly palpable as Massapequa’s baseball team is also state tournament-bound and will play Hudson Valley’s Ketcham in the semifinals as well Friday.Softball is just one part of Portz’s high school transcript, albeit a thrilling one.The senior standout, who plays soccer in the fall and bowls in the winter, has taken 14 AP classes during her years at MHS — almost half of them as a senior after being accepted into the Massachusetts college.“I could have just taken easy classes, but I always want to do my best,” she said.“I just wanted to take as many APs as possible because it’s just fun for me.… Both on the field and in the classroom, I’m very competitive.”Coach Christina Castellani described No.

16 as having a Derek Jeter-esque seriousness to athletics and academics, while also fitting in time for community service and after-school clubs.“Sam’s a quiet leader, but I think just leading by example, she’s really elevating the girls in their competitiveness,” Castellani said, adding, “I don’t know how she does it all.“Sam is all business on the field.She can have fun, she knows how to, but you don’t really see it as much.

She’s always got ...