Kate Jaspers Collects SEC Softball Player of the Week Accolades
May 25, 2016 | Softball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- For her efforts in Mississippi State's first-ever series victory over SEC West rival and nationally-ranked Alabama, as well as a midweek victory over cross-state nemesis Southern Miss, senior first baseman Kate Jaspers has been tabbed as this week's SEC Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
In four outings this week, the Prescott, Ariz., native hit a cool .538 (7-for-13) with one double, seven RBI and five runs scored. She posted a .600 average against the Crimson Tide, including several key hits in crucial situations that gave the Bulldogs consecutive victories over Alabama for the first time since 1998. The game two and game three victories also marked State's first series wins at home since April 23, 1999.
"Kate not only got a lot of hits for us, she also got key hits," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "She drove in the gamewinning runs in that comeback on Friday and she was 4-for-4 on Saturday. It was a big stride for her, as well as a big stride for our ball club, to get to where we are playing a lot more competitively and more consistently."
Following a 1-for-3 night against Southern Miss - one in which State snapped a two-game skid to the Golden Eagles - Jaspers played a huge role in State's come-from-behind victory over Alabama in game two of the set on Friday evening. Her RBI single with the second at-bat of the sixth inning drove in Iyhia McMichael with State's first run of the contest. After an errant catch by UA centerfielder Jackie Wilkins seconds later, Jaspers legged out a three-base error that continued the Maroons'comeback. Down 6-5 with the bases loaded and two outs later in the inning, Jaspers delivered a base-clearing double to cap the eight-run outburst.
In Sunday's rubber match with Alabama, Jaspers tallied the second four-hit game of her career on a 4-for-4 effort with a RBI and three runs scored in a come-from-behind 10-5 victory that clinched the series. With the effort, she became the first MSU player in more than two seasons to record a 4-for-4 day.
Holding down a perfect 4.0 GPA through seven semesters and a couple of summer terms at MSU, Jaspers is set to graduate with her degree in Psychology in May. A recent recipient of Mississippi State's Newsom Award, honoring the top female academic performer in all of State's varsity sports, she garnered NFCA academic all-American and academic all-SEC honors as a junior last season. The awards perfectly complemented second team Verizon academic all-America honors as well.
"Kate epitomizes the term student-athlete," Miller said. "She is a 4.0 student as well as the top female student athlete of all sports here at Mississippi State. She is a kid that, as a coach, you wish had a dozen just like her."
Jaspers and her Mississippi State teammates will be back in action this weekend when the team concludes conference road play with a three-game series at Arkansas. The Bulldogs will return home next week for a midweek set with Mississippi, Tuesday and Wednesday, at the Mississippi State Softball Field.
