BUTLER TWP — Rachel Rebmann sets up the hitting tee on the outside corner of the plate.

She swings the bat and slashes the softball to right field. The Butler senior first baseman does this over and over again.

“I practice high, low, inside outside,” Rebmann said. “They usually like to pitch me outside.”

That’s because if you give Rebmann a good pitch to hit these days, she’s going to make you pay.

Rebmann may be one of the most dangerous softball hitters in the WPIAL — and opponents are taking notice.

Last season, she hit six home runs — five in the last five games — and batted .432 with 25 RBI and a .977 slugging percentage.

She’s off to another hot start in limited action this season.

Rebmann has slugged seven career home runs and has set some lofty goals for herself this season.

“Her goal is to hit more home runs than five this year,” said Butler softball coach Shauna Troup. “She makes solid contact. She can hit any strike. She’s capable of doing some real damage.”

The question is going to be how many strikes will Rebmann see this season?

The word is out and Rebmann fully expects to be pitched differently after her breakthrough 2014 campaign.

So Rebmann hones her skills in the cage and in practice whenever she can, working on hitting pitcher’s pitches.

“I know teams aren’t going to give me a lot of pitches to hit,” Rebmann said. “But when they do, I’ll be ready.”

That doesn’t mean Rebmann is going to expand her strike zone.

Already a patient hitter, Rebmann struck out just three times last season.

“Rachel is very disciplined at the plate,” Troup said. “She can tell a good pitch from a bad pitch very early. Teams are eventually going to have to bring something to her. She’ll find her pitch and drive it.”

Rebmann is a cornerstone of a lineup that has the potential to put up a lot of runs this season.

Hitting clean-up, Rebmann is protected in the lineup by No. 5 and No. 6 hitters Jen Miller and Kait Barnett.

“Our top six hitters all put the ball in play,” Troup said. “Rachel is definitely a key component of our offense. Teams know her name and number, but I’m going to keep her in the fourth spot. Jen makes good contact and hits doubles and Kait has been hitting well.”

Rebmann doesn’t care where she hits in the lineup. She also said she doesn’t go up to the plate intending to hit a home run.

“I just try to put the ball in play,” she said. “I just try to hit the ball as hard as I can up the middle.”

Rebmann didn’t get many swings in during the offseason.

Rebmann is coming off a broken foot suffered while playing volleyball, another sport where she shines.

As a setter for the Golden Tornado, Rebmann had 364 assists and also led the team with 31 service aces.

When asked which sport she prefers, Rebmann laughs.

“I can’t decide,” she said. “I could play both sports for the rest of my life.”

She’s hoping to play at least one at the next level.

Rebmann will attend Kent State University in the fall and undertake a demanding major in architecture.

She hopes to walk-on to the softball team there, but said she would be content with playing intramural sports.

“As long as it’s softball or volleyball,” Rebmann said, laughing. “I’ve talked to people who have said to make sure you have a life in college.”

For now, Rebmann is focused squarely on helping her Golden Tornado softball team have a postseason life this year.

“I’m really excited about this year and this team,” Rebmann said. “We have a lot of talent. We’ve been playing together since we were 10-and-under. We know how to balance having fun and playing hard.”