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Softball / Kent State report
Honored shortstop wants team title

Jessica Toocheck collects host of personal accolades, but would rather snare wins, NCAA championship

By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Thursday, May 15, 2008

Kent State's Jessica Toocheck has not allowed a case of sensory overload to alter her priorities or sense of self.

Toocheck, a senior shortstop, has spent this month accepting congratulations for a dizzying series of honors that might be a major distraction for some athletes.

First and foremost, she received the school's Janet Bachna Award, given to the KSU senior female who best displays leadership, athletic ability and academic performance.

Toocheck, a Medina High graduate, also was named first-team academic All-District by CoSida/ESPN the Magazine, making her eligible for academic All-America honors.

For purely on-the-field achievements, Toocheck was selected last week as the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and became first-team All-MAC for the third time.

Those awards came in the midst of the Golden Flashes' successful attempt to win the MAC Tournament championship, culminating last Saturday at Firestone Stadium with a 5-0 win over Ohio University.

That meant an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament, where KSU (44-10) will play Notre Dame (37-20-1) Friday in a regional game in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Toocheck said that she is honored to be recognized in so many ways, but such awards must be put into perspective.

''It's great to have those things, but it's better to have wins and championships. And it's better to have teammates who are always there for me,'' said Toocheck, who has a 3.9 grade-point average as a special-education major. ''I know I have always had people behind me who have helped me when I needed it.''

However, KSU coach Karen Linder said Toocheck is the one who has helped herself the most.

''She is such a hard worker. She is always asking for more [repetitions],'' Linder said. ''You have to kick her off the practice field. I have to tell her, 'Toocheck, you are fine. You have done enough. You need to go home.' ''

Senior pitcher Gabrielle Burns, who has been Toocheck's teammate for four years, expressed a similar sentiment.

''She is amazing. She brings her A-game every game. She works harder than any person I have played with in my life,'' Burns said. ''She puts her heart into it. We can always count on her to make the plays or get the big hit.''

Toocheck has been making plays and getting big hits since she first stepped onto the field as a freshman in 2005. She has started every game (213) of her varsity career, in center field or third base in early 2005 and at shortstop for the past 31/2 seasons.

In the KSU career record books, she ranks fifth in batting average (.320), second in home runs (29), second in hits (202), second in runs scored (132) and third in RBI (115).

''She has had an amazing career. She plays with so much passion, energy, confidence and determination,'' Linder said. ''She is such a competitor. She hates to lose and will find a way to make an impact on the outcome.''

Not a bad career for a player who was not heavily recruited (Cleveland State and Ashland were her other major scholarship offers) and who was not sure whether and when she would play.

''In high school, my coach (Al DiTommaso) prepped me to be prepared to sit because he didn't want me to be disappointed,'' Toocheck said. ''I just wanted to work hard and earn a spot here and there.

''When I found out I was going to start my first game, it was awesome. I just wanted to try to help the team. From there, it was a great experience.''

In her-four year career, she was a prime contributor to Flashes teams that went 133-80, and won two MAC Tournament titles and two MAC regular-season titles. She is going out with a 2008 team that set a school record for victories (44) and became the first MAC team since 2002 to win regular-season and tournament championships.

''It has been an incredible experience here. It flew by,'' said Toocheck, who leads KSU in batting average (.340), home runs (11) and RBI (47) this season. ''I am glad to go out on a year like this. It makes it so much more meaningful to have such a successful last year in a program that has done so well.''

With her career in its final stage, Toocheck obviously wants to postpone the end for as long as possible.

If the Golden Flashes defeat Notre Dame, a second-round game with host Michigan — the fourth-seeded team in the nation — is likely Saturday. In 2006, KSU also made the NCAA Tournament and lost twice to Oklahoma in Ann Arbor to be eliminated.

''It's great that we are going back. Two years ago, we were just glad to get there,'' Toocheck said. ''We know what to expect, and we want to make an impact this time.''

Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.

Kent State's Jessica Toocheck has not allowed a case of sensory overload to alter her priorities or sense of self.

Get the full article here.


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