The Jackson College Jets women's softball looks forward to a great season ahead, following its winningest season last year! With MCCAA Conference action to begin next week, the team is ranked 15th in the NJCAA Div. II polls.
Jets softball is going strong in the preseason with a record of 10-2 in non-conference play. Coach Jamie Vandenburgh and staff welcome back seven sophomores, including three key players who garnered honors in the 2018 season, including Allison LaPoint of Holland, Ohio, pitcher, who finished the year with a 19-4 record, 148 strikeouts and a 2.138 ERA. Outfielder Haley Rose of Napoleon returns; last year she had a team-high batting average of .434 and a team-high four triples. Outfielder Sabrina Sage of Clio also returns, with a strong record last season on offense and defense with a .381 batting average, 51 hits and completing 103 outs in the field.
Among the seven freshmen, keep an eye on pitcher Hailey Roy, Grass Lake High School graduate, and middle infielder Koryn Playford, Jonesville High School graduate, who both did well on the team's recent spring trip to Florida. Roy recorded her first pitching win and earned two saves, while Playford had 16 hits, scored 11 runs and added 9 RBI's.
The Jets finished 2018 with a 33-11 record, the most wins scored in a season. Vandenburgh is pleased with how this year's team is coming together.
"Our spring trip was really a great opportunity for the team to mesh together and start building chemistry. We now have an idea of our strengths and weaknesses and where we can improve on in the next couple of weeks," Vandenburgh said. "Overall, we had different players stepping up each game and with 14 on the roster, they really were team wins. Each person plays a key role in making this thing work and I look forward to seeing continued growth and improvement throughout the season."
The team's saying this year is "Live your dash," which comes from "The Dash" poem by Linda Ellis. (https://thedashpoem.com/).
"This group has been through some adversity together but they have pulled through and formed their own identity. They want to be remembered on campus for what they will achieve on and off the field."