Jackson College Jets women's softball team welcomed eight new recruits from Michigan, Indiana and Ohio for the 2020-21 team at a signing ceremony over the weekend!
Signing with the Jets are:
Ellie Greene – Greene is a pitcher from Lapeer High School. During the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Greene garnered All-District and First/Second Team Saginaw Valley Conference honors. She plays for the Firestix travel organization and chose Jackson College because of distance from home and campus size. After her campus visit she said, "I knew it was the right place for me!" Greene's travel ball coach Kevin Babcock said, "Ellie is a fantastic, great-hearted player. She has a great work ethic, is very strong and continues to get better on the mound every year for our program."
Addison Hudson -- Hudson is a speedy outfielder from Monroe. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has earned All-Huron League, All-District, All-Region and All-State Honorable Mention athletic honors. She was named her high school MVP twice! Hudson said, "I chose Jackson because talking to previous student-athletes and the experience they had at Jackson made me want to experience the same things they did. Jackson also made me feel at home; talking to the players, coaches, and all the people I met on campus made me feel like it's where I want to spend the next chapter of my life."
Emily Breslin -- Breslin is a strong pitcher from Stockbridge. Academically, she is sporting a 3.9 GPA. She plans to study nursing at Jackson College. While at Stockbridge High School, she has earned All-District honors three times, All-Conference, All-Region and All-State Honorable Mention. Over the summer, Coach Jamie Vandenburgh had an opportunity to watch Emily pitch a few games and impressed by her composure on the mound.
During the summer, Hudson and Breslin play for the Michigan National Stars for Glen Darmos, coach. Darmos is father of Jackson College softball alumna Olivia Darmos who played in 2018 and 2019 seasons. "Jackson got two game changers in Addie and Emily," Darmos said. "Addie uses her speed and athleticism to put pressure on opposing defenses, and catches everything in the outfield. Emily is a power player...on the mound she has the ability to shut any team down. At the plate, she can change games quickly with her power."
Paige Thomson – Thomson comes from Richmond, Mich., and the Finesse Fastpitch organization. During her time at Richmond High School, she has proven to be a successful student-athlete, earning Honor Roll and Scholar-Athlete awards each year. Thomson also earned athletic achievements in basketball, volleyball and softball. She has earned All-State Honorable Mention honors in the outfield twice along with Offensive/Defensive Player of the Year at her high school. Paige was drawn to JC by "The competitive softball program and the dental hygiene program." High School Coach Howard Stuart wrote this about her in a letter of recommendation, "Of course, all coaches are looking for talented athletes, but Paige is more than that. She brings an upbeat attitude to each practice and game. Her attitude and leadership have been important to our program success."
Bobbie Freese -- Freese plays for Summit City Sluggers travel organization and Fairfield Junior/Senior High School in Indiana. She has maintained status on the honor roll throughout her high school career. In high school, she set the school record for doubles and earned the team's highest batting average. Freese's team were Sectional and Regional Champions in the 2016 season. She has been named a team captain for both her high school and travel ball teams. On her visit to Jackson College over the summer, what struck Coach Vandenburgh was Bobbie's upbeat personality and overall interested in JC. Bobbie then returned to do a workout with the team this fall and both Coach Bates and Vandenburgh knew Bobbie would be a good fit. "She has a strong arm and good bat. We worked her out behind the plate and in the field. We are very excited to bring in Bobbie next year!" Vandenburgh said.
Freese said, "I chose Jackson because I loved the campus and I thought it was a great fit, I also enjoyed being around the softball team. They also have a program of study I am interested in pursuing."
Savannah Kirk -- Kirk plays third base and outfield for her high school team out of Holland, Ohio. She attends Springfield High School and in the summer, she plays for SGS Magic. She has earned academic honor roll and defensive MVP honors. "I chose Jackson because it felt like a home away from home, and I really like the coaching staff," Kirk said. Her high school coach Rob Gwozdz added, "Savy, as we call her, is one of the most complete softball players I have ever coached. She literally can play anywhere defensively on the diamond." This says a lot about Kirk, as the Springfield High School program has had tremendous success!
Keagan Nickerson -- Nickerson is an outfielder from Columbus, Ind. She attends Columbus East High School and plays for Thunder Fastpitch. Keagan's high school team won the state championship in 2018 and were runners up in 2017. She has earned academic and technical honors while attending Columbus East. Her travel coach Richie Riddle shared, "Keagan loves the game so much, and she will go all out, as hard as she can. I'm super happy she will get to live her dream while she continues her education at a great school."
Madeline Schornak -- Schornak comes to JC from Livonia where she attends Livonia Stevenson High School. During the summer, she plays for Motor City Madness. Schornak is a solid student in the classroom, earning a 3.5 GPA. During the recruiting process a previous Jackson College alumna Megan Coliton ('14 & '15 seasons) reached out to head Coach Jamie Vandenburgh with a recommendation for Schornak: "Maddie is a leader on and off the field and is very coachable. She is one of those players that puts the work in after hours and is always inquiring on what she needs to do to improve. She is the first up on every drill has a great attitude and is ambitious."