Ball State University Athletics
Jenny Gilbert Signs Two-Year Contract with Akron Racers
November 03, 2015 | Softball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - Ball State softball first-year assistant coach Jenny Gilbert was one of three veteran players to sign a two-year playing contract with the Akron Racers Tuesday (Nov. 3), according to Racers' general manager Joey Arrietta. She was joined by catcher Griffin Joiner and utility player Shellie Robinson.
“I like what I see from these three players,” Arrietta said in the team's official release. “Their work ethic is key for me. Can you and will you do what it takes to get prepared and execute when your number is called? I believe there is a lot of talent in these three players we have yet to see.”
With the Racers' season beginning after the conclusion of the collegiate softball season and ending before the start of the academic year, Gilbert will continue to serve as an assistant coach for the Ball State softball program while playing professionally.
A two-time All-American as a player for the Ball State softball program from 2011-14, Gilbert completed her first full season with the Racers in 2015. She started 31 games for the club this summer, helping lead the team to a 22-26 overall record and the third seed in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Championship Series.
“It's an honor to be a part of the Akron Racers for the next two years,” Gilbert said. “This organization does amazing things for the game of softball and supports the dreams of the little girls who will be filling our shoes when their time comes. I would not want to represent anyone else, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity Joey and the Racers have given me.”
Gilbert finished the 2015 season with a .216 batting average, logging 22 total hits, including five home runs. She also notched a pair of doubles and a triple, while finishing the year with 13 RBI and 14 runs scored over 34 games. Her biggest highlight, however, might have come in the field when she made a spectacular fence-crashing catch in a July 24 game versus the USSAA Pride to earn the No. 2 spot on the next day's ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 plays list.
Gilbert originally signed with the Akron Racers after being selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2014 NPF Draft. The first outfielder chosen in the draft, she played a partial season for the Racers in 2014 before finishing the summer with the Canadian National Team, with which she had been associated since 2009.
Gilbert began her collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant for her alma mater in 2015. With her help, Ball State finished the season with a 34-25 (14-5 Mid-American Conference) record, won the MAC West Division title and claimed the league's tournament championship to earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Regionals. The Cardinals went on to defeat 16th-seeded Notre Dame in the regional opener for the program's first-ever regional victory.
As a student-athlete for Ball State, Gilbert helped guide the Cardinals to three MAC Regular Season Championships (2012, 2013 & 2014). The only All-American in program history, Gilbert became just the fourth two-time All-America selection in MAC history when she was named to the NFCA All-America Second Team in 2014 after earning third team status one year earlier. The only three-time MAC Player of the Year (2012, 2013 & 2014), Gilbert finished her career as one of only 11 players in NCAA Division I history to earn her respective conference player of the year award three times.
Gilbert finished her collegiate career as the league's record holder in runs batted in (246), runs scored (215), home runs (75), doubles (62) and slugging percentage (.810). Her 75 home runs ranked eighth in NCAA Division I history at the conclusion of her career, and she became the NCAA career home run leader among Canadian-born players with her 66th blast versus North Dakota State (March 22, 2014). In addition, she ended her playing career tied for ninth in NCAA Division I history with 246 RBI, while her .810 slugging percentage was 10th.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State softball, follow the team on Twitter: @BallStateSB & @BallStateSports / Instagram: ballstatesb / Facebook: BallStateSoftball.
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