Akron's Jascoe and Gillespie Named To Second Team All-MAC

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CLEVELAND, Ohio– Redshirt freshman Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.) and senior Cassie Gillespie (Sylvania, Ohio) were named to the 2018 All-Mid-American Conference Second Team by the league's 12 head coaches, the conference announced on Tuesday.

"I am very happy for both Sydney and Cassie on earning Second-Team All-MAC. Such a great honor for two very hard-working student-athletes," said head coach Julie Jones. "Sydney was able to accomplish this while playing out of position. To be able to make that adjustment and help lead us offensively is a testament to her dedication to softball. Sydney's future on the field is extremely bright."

"I am so proud that Cassie could cap off her career earning this award," stated Jones. "Cassie is a perfect example of how pure commitment and an extremely hard work ethic will help you achieve your goals. She has been a true testament of what it means to be a student-athlete at the University of Akron."

The MAC honor was the first postseason award of both Jascoe and Gillespie's respective careers.

After utilizing her redshirt season in 2017, Jascoe made an immediate impact in 2018 for the Zips. Akron's starting shortstop earned a .306/.462/.335 slash line as the Zips lead-off hitter in the lineup. Jascoe tallied a team-high 44 hits, tied for a team-best 11 doubles, hit four home runs, drove in 10 RBI, scored 19 runs, and drew five walks. When leading off the game or an inning, Jascoe hit .352, posted a .314 batting average with the bases empty, and .300 average with runners in scoring position. Jascoe led Akron in multi-hit performances with 12 total which included nine two-hit games and three three-hit contests. From March 30 to April 4, Jascoe tallied a seven-game hit streak with a .458 average (11-for-24), six doubles and one RBI, while she also reached base safely in a season-best eight straight contests.

In her final season with the Zips, Gillespie went on to have a career-year at the plate in 2018. The senior captain ended the season as the Zips top hitter in the lineup recording a career-high .306 batting average. Gillespie set a career-high not only in average, but in slugging percentage (.414), on-base percentage (.410), hits (34), home runs (3), RBI (16), walks (21), stolen bases (10), and tied a career-high in runs scored (13). Gillespie garnered a team-best 10 game hit streak (3/31-4/13), 11 game on-base streak (3/31-4/14), and multi RBI contests (5). Statistically, Gillespie led all Akron hitters in batting average, walks, SAC flies (2), while she hit .405 with runners on the bases, .458 with runners in scoring position, and .379 with two outs in the inning.

Defensively, Jascoe started all 48 games, including 36 contests at shortstop and 12 at third base. On the year Jascoe earned a .929 fielding percentage, recorded 75 assists and 68 putouts. Gillespie once again showed why she is one of the best fielders to ever don an Akron uniform as she posted a team-best .979 fielding percentage, 270 putouts, and six assists. In her career, Gillespie garnered 1,298 putouts, which is fourth-most in a career in program history, and her career .989 fielding percentage ranks third-best all-time.

The University of Akron Athletics

Akron's Jascoe and Gillespie Named To Second Team All-MAC

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