By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior Jaycee Ginter will go down in history as one of the best players in Washburn University softball history.
Senior Jaycee Ginter has put together a record-setting career for Washburn University's softball team, currently No. 24-ranked in the nation. [File photo/TSN]
Entering the final stretch of her outstanding four-year Ichabod career, Ginter already holds WU career pitching records for wins (84), strikeouts (779) and appearances (142) and is the program leader for single-season wins (30), strikeouts (290) and appearances (45).
Ginter, who helped lead Shawnee Heights to three straight Class 5A state titles, also ranks among the top 15 all-time in numerouss offensive categories, with a career batting average of .337, 28 home runs and 166 runs batted in entering Saturday's MIAA twinbill at Emporia State.
"Jaycee is a unicorn -- one of one,'' Washburn coach Brenda Holaday said. "She is arguably the best to ever play at Washburn given what she has done at the plate and on the mound -- a rare combination of excellence.''
But all those accolades aside, Ginter may never get the credit she truly deserves for being able to overcome the multiple obstacles she's faced along the way.
Ginter, whose senior season at Heights in 2020 was wiped out by COVID-19, battled a forearm issue as a freshman at Washburn and overcame a concussion at the start of her sophomore campaign and her continuing forearm problem to earn first-team All-America recognition with a 30-7 pitching record (1.76 earned run average, 290 strikeouts) and a .385 batting average (10 homers, 57 RBI).
Ginter faced her biggest injury challenge, a torn labrum in her shoulder, midway through the 2023 season, but still posted a 24-10 record (1.72 ERA, 243 strikeouts) and hit .303 (7 homers, 41 RBI).
"She is a warrior and never even thinks about not playing when she is hurt or injured -- doesn't cross her mind,'' Holaday said. "She is the ultimate competitor and performs pretty stress free and without fear. Success and failure does not change her.''
"I think I tore it midseason, probably early March when we went to Florida, '' Ginter said. "I had surgery over the summer and it was about a four-month recovery before I could get back to everything and start up again.''
Through her first three college seasons Ginter normally played left field when she was not pitching, but the surgery ended her career as an outfielder, with the Ichabod star being used as a designated hitter throughout the current season.
Ginter, who is hitting .400 this spring (5 homers, 38 RBI), also struggled, by her standards, in the pitching circle in the early going.
"Starting out it was a struggle to get back in my rhythm and kind of know exactly what pitches I want to throw and how I'm going to throw it and kind of compensate for how I'd thrown them in the past.
"I knew I had to make some changes because of how the surgery was and my arm wasn't working like it used to.''
But after Holaday examined film and still pictures of Ginter's form prior to the surgery, Ginter made a slight change in her delivery that has paid off with a very strong second half.
"I definitely feel a lot more confident now than I did in the beginning of the season,'' she said. "I feel more like myself.''
Ginter and the 36-12 No. 24-ranked Ichabods will close out their regular season with Saturday's 11 a.m. twinbill against the Hornets at Trusler Sports Complex before opening the MIAA Tournament next week while trying to cement their place in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Ginter is looking forward to her professional future in the medical field, but is hoping to prolong her final softball season as long as possible.
"I'm doing radiology, so I'll do X-rays and then starting in the fall I'm starting the ultrasound program through Washburn so I'll do that,'' Ginter said. "It's definitely bittersweet. I'm kind of looking forward to moving on in my life, but also I'm definitely going to miss (softball) once it's done and I'm looking forward to coming back and supporting my old teammates.''
And Holaday knows the Ichabods will never forget Ginter.
"Her impact on our program is immeasurble,'' Holaday said.
