Setting the pace: Jackson seniors lead softball program
MASSILLON, Ohio — To achieve perfect harmony on Opening Night, you need a conductor to lead the symphony. For the girls’ softball program at Jackson High School, there are five seniors to make certain the rest of the team is singing the same tune.
Third-year coach Adam Parker guided the Bears to an 11-6 mark as they prepared for their tournament run late last month. His job has been made easier by a group ensemble led by catcher Morgan Christopher, pitcher Courtney Helle, third baseman Eva Chevalier, second baseman Caidy Norris, and left fielder Emma Smith. “Their leadership has been instrumental in our success,” Parker noted. “Christopher has been a starter since her freshman season. She’s a great defensive catcher and a solid hitter.” Christopher’s .438 batting average leads the team.
Helle has had big shoes to fill since her high school pitching career began. She succeeded Julia Gossett, who went on to play at Purdue University. However, in ten games this spring, Helle fashioned a 3.27 earned run average with 27 strikeouts in ten games. “Courtney has a great attitude, and you can’t rattle her,” the coach added. Chevalier bounced back from a knee injury her sophomore season to hit a torrid .426. “She is one of the toughest kids I’ve ever met,” Parker said. “She came back from the injury her junior year and turned into a slap hitter. Eva is a big part of this team, has a great attitude, and she pushes everybody else to be better.”
Another player who pushes her teammates is Norris, who transferred from Manchester her sophomore year. She has hit .263 this spring for the Bears. “Caidy is one of our hardest workers, and she hit the weight room to get stronger. She’s just a tough kid who is willing to work to get what she wants.” Finally, Smith has made the transition from being a pitcher to playing the outfield where she has hit .383. She has also played other positions on the diamond and is the Bears’ fastest player on the bases. “Emma is a hard worker and has a great work ethic,” the coach said. “I know I can play her anywhere, and she will make it happen for us.”
Parker said the school stands ready to help anyone who wants to continue playing softball in college. However, if that’s not in a player’s future, that’s fine too. From this group, Christopher will play next season at Division II Shawnee State. “It’s about determining what is right for them,” Parker said. “Education comes first, and what is the right fit? We do have a lot of kids who have aspirations of playing in college, but we’re really celebrating kids being successful. We’re focused on building a team atmosphere with tenacity and unity. They’ve really come together, and I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
The Jackson High School program has its roots in a youth-level group known as JSA, a travel program spearheaded by President Ryan Hartong. Parker gets direct support from his Jayvee coach, Deb McKee, and from student Levi Christopher, a junior who volunteers his time to assemble statistics and scouting reports on the Bears’ opponents. A Tuslaw High graduate, Parker went on to John Carroll University and earned his master’s in business administration at Ashland.
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