Rotarian Greg Bachjman introduced ESU Head Softball Coach April Rosales to our Rotary Club recently. April is in her sixth season as head coach. This team is way more that just softball...they are winning both on and off the field with the best team GPA, and they are leading the country with 345 volunteer service hours in our community, demonstrating the great character of this team. Their 10-2 record is the best start since 2006, and they play for each other with what is characterized as "the E-State of Mind." There have been challenges since last March from COVID, but also from the untimely death of a former player "Jacie" Stephens-Cochran during the birth of her first child. Jacie's and her husband's son, Jaxon Jay survived and is now 8 months old. The team is in the midst of a scholarship drive at ESU in Jacie's name, and they are trying to raise the needed funds to push this fund to an endowed scholarship for ESU. Contributions can be made to ahuddles@emporia.edu.
An online news story on Jacie: