JACKIE SASKO CLASS OF '05 YEAR OF INDUCTION: 2014 "I started playing basketball first and I actually liked that better but softball kind of grew on me," said Sasko, who also played soccer. "And, my father told me that I could go farther with softball." Father really did know best in this case as Sasko went on to play softball in college. Today, Sasko is the Softball Director & Owner at Game Time Performance in Hamilton. A three-time varsity letterwinner, she was a cog on a New Jersey Group IV Champion as a junior. She also received All-State recognition two years in a row and was named Mercer County Tournament MVP her senior year. With tremendous control, the right-hander baffled hitters en route to an 11-4 record and six shutouts as a senior. Sasko was on top of her game in the final month of high-school ball, winning MVP honors with two shutouts as the Spartans won their third Mercer County Tournament title in four years and finished with 10 wins in their final 12 games. As a junior, Sasko made a household name for herself with one dazzling postseason performance after another as Steinert completed its magical run to a Group IV title. She finished with eight straight wins, including upsets of mighty Hunterdon Central, Rancocas Valley and Cherokee in the state tournament. She ended up 15-4 with 201 strikeouts, second-most in the Colonial Valley Conference. "Jackie Sasko not only had total command of many pitches, but she was smart and savvy when she was on the mound,” praised former SHS coach Bob Hutchinson. "She was the consummate team player as well. Along with her pitching skills, she was one of our best hitters. She also tried to help the other players on the team. During the Central Jersey final against the No. 1 team in the state, Rancocas Valley, with a pitcher who struck out 29 batters in that game, she not only shut them out for 12 innings but was helping other players adjust their swings on the sidelines and then collected the winning RBI. The only thing she didn't do in that game was drive the bus home! When we won the title, I feel like she was the best pitcher in the state. She was almost unhittable." She attended C.W. Post on a softball scholarship for three semesters and then transferred to Mercer County Community College. At MCCC, she led her team to the Junior College World Series and was named an All- American. She finished up her collegiate softball career at Rowan University where she was an All-American and an Academic All-American her junior year. At the end of her senior year, she was named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player of the Week, New Jersey Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year and was a first-team All-America selection. While finishing up her last semester at Rowan, she started her Game Time Performance Softball Academy. She was the assistant coach and pitching coach in the Jersey Nightmare organization for five years and also was an assistant at Steinert. RETURN TO THE HALL OF FAME MEMBERS PAGE