Julie Jones led the Zips to a record-setting season in 2011, as the team returned to the .500 mark with a 24-24 overall record and an 8-13 mark in conference play. Led by the emergence of senior Olivia Hegedus, the squad broke Akron’s all-time season home run record with 43 longballs, surpassing the previous mark of 40 set in 2002.

Hegedus led the MAC with 15 homers, tied for the third-best season performance in program history. Sophomore Alissa Birkhimer smashed 10, putting her in a tie for seventh place on the all-time season list, as well. Akron had speed to match its power, stealing 108 bases in 135 attempts to lead the MAC by 20. Junior Alex Helfrich led the charge with 22 stolen bags alone.

Under Jones’ guidance, senior Alex Feltes turned in one of the best seasons in school history, hitting .414 at the plate, the fourth-best season mark ever by a Zip. She also notched career highs with 60 hits, 35 runs scored, three triples, eight home runs, and 27 RBI. She paced the Zips with a .690 slugging percentage and a .488 on-base percentage in 145 at-bats. Against Toledo on May 6, she set a new single-game total bases record with 13 on two home runs, a double, and a triple in one monster game.

Feltes was honored by a selection to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Region Second Team, just the third Akron player to earn All-Region recognition, all under the watch of Coach Jones. Redshirt freshman Katie Gross also garnered postseason acclaim, making the MAC All-Freshman Team after a breakout season in which she played a vital role for Akron at the plate. She finished her first full season with a .283 average, 43 hits, five home runs, and 22 RBI. Gross is the third All-Freshman performer under Coach Jones and the fifth in program history.

Off the field, Akron again placed student-athletes on the Capital One Academic All-District IV teams, as Feltes earned First Team honors, Helfrich made the Second Team, and senior Sarah Earley landed on the Third Team. All three Zips were making their second appearance on the Academic All-District list, which is no surprise, as Coach Jones always stresses the importance of performance in the classroom. Feltes went on to make the Capital One Academic All-America Second Team, becoming just the fifth Zip in program history to earn the distinction and the first since 1988. Jones has now coached four Academic All-Americans.

In 2010, the Zips posted a 20-34 overall mark and a 7-15 record in MAC play. Feltes led the team in multiple categories, including batting average, hits, runs, and on base percentage. Off the field, Feltes and Helfrich were both named to the ESPN/CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team, and the pair was joined by Heather Bauer on the Academic All-MAC squad.

The 2009 season saw the best finish in Jones' career as head coach of the Zips, finishing 35-24 and 11-10 in the Mid-American Conference play. In addition, Jones led her squad to quite a feat in the league tournament. The seventh-seeded Zips pulled off three wins in one day to push themselves to the semi-final elimination game, the most tournament wins since 2002. Within just one victory of the conference championship, UA proved almost unstoppable with an inherent desire to win.

The Zips, under Jones’ guidance, posted the league's lowest earned run average at 2.35, as well as the lowest individual ERA with then-sophomore Heather Bauer’s mark of 1.80.  Jones coached NCAA triples leader Lisa McLean to the top of the MAC and top-10 in the nation.  With 45 swipes to lead the league, McLean became UA’s all-time stolen base leader with 111.  The 2009 season brought another coaching milestone for Jones as she posted her 300th career victory with a 5-2 win over Central Michigan on April 3rd.

Continuing to prove that UA’s team is comprised of true student-athletes, Jones continued to demonstrate her desire to build her players as individuals of character and discipline as the team ranked above all of Akron’s 18 intercollegiate teams in grade point average and continues its dedication to helping the community by participating in activities with various community groups in the greater Akron area.

To add to the 2009 season’s accolades, Akron garnered three Mid-American Conference awards with McLean leading the way with first-team All-MAC honors. Bauer earned second team accolades while Andrea Arney received all-freshman team honors by posting 17 wins on the season.  Additionally, McLean and Bauer each earned a spot on the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Region team.

Just as strong in the classroom as on the field, the Zips placed three first time honorees on the All-MAC academic squad in Bauer, Sarah Earley and Alex Feltes while Earley also earned a spot on the CoSIDA ESPN Academic All-District IV Softball Team. As a team, the program moved up one from the 2007-08 academic year to finish the 2008-09 National Fastpitch Coaches Association “Girls Got Game” team academic ranking in 12th place with a 3.425 grade point average The honor was the 16th of its kind in Coach Jones’ 17-year tenure as an assistant or head coach of a Division I softball program that her team has been ranked in the top-20 in team GPA.

Along with athletic and academic achievements, Jones always stresses the importance of giving back to the community as the team contributed to many community projects over the past year, including Make a Difference Day with the University Park Alliance, conducting sports clinics at local elementary schools, and working with the Summit County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities just to name a few.

“This community service plays into our overall philosophy of teaching our student-athletes to be well rounded, accountable and appreciative members of society,” said Jones. “We use softball as a microcosm of life teaching the important lessons of commitment, perseverance, accountability, teamwork and facing and overcoming failures.  We hope that the experiences they share will help them learn valuable tools for success while at UA and well beyond.  We also hope that they are building life-long relationships with their team and lay a foundation of a life-long commitment to our program. In our opinion, our staff is here to teach our kids to be successful in life.  We want them to leave our program with passion to go out and change the world.”

The team also participated in programs created by Akron’s Department of Athletics such as Zippy’s Readers and the Sports Clinic program. Zippy’s Readers is a program where student-athletes read to elementary school students for a morning or afternoon, along with Akron’s mascot, Zippy.  In addition, the team held a Sports Clinic this year, creating an afternoon of softball drills, skill sessions, and fun games for local students.

The team joined with the Akron Juvenile Detention Center, acting as role-models for children there. They also have participated for in the Memory Walk for Alzheimer’s at Blossom Music Center, raising money for their cause.  In addition, the team has given much of their time to the County of Summit Developmental Disabilities Board (Summit DD)  participating in bowling nights four times a year, helping serve food at their holiday party, donating items for their holiday party, as well as helping them with a car wash for their Handicapped Arts Program.

After continued success and achievements off the field, the team received the prestigious ‘Neighborhood Nexus Award’ from the University Park Alliance. The mission of UPA is to revitalize the diverse neighborhood in a 50-block area immediately surrounding The University of Akron, through engaging the community and catalyzing real estate and business investment.  Akron was honored at the sixth annual University Park Awards Luncheon (May 13, 2009) where the event honored 15 individuals and groups for their efforts in the designated area near the hospitals, university and downtown with the softball team receiving the distinguished student award.

“As coaches we are hired to win games and normally fired if success is not found on the field,” said Jones. “It is our hope that building the complete player by pushing their bodies, stretching their minds and teaching them the importance of building relationships will lead to success on the field and off. This includes teaching them the importance of reaching out to the community and building experiences for others that will help everyone involved feel special. Participating in heartfelt community service projects is one of the hallmarks of our program. We hope that our kids realize how blessed and lucky they are as successful and healthy individuals.  We hope that they learn to share their gifts with others, whether it be providing an exciting and memorable experience with our friends at Summit DD or helping with a project at a local church.  We want our kids to help those who need help and do it with a grateful and thankful heart.”

Heading into the 2010 season, the Zips took a different approach by adopting 12-year-old Olivia Ward through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, which is a program that teams children with collegiate programs in all sports throughout the country. Ward, from nearby Wadsworth, Ohio, was being treated at Akron Children’s Hospital for brain cancer. Because Ward has had three occurrences in her few short years, she had few friends her age who understand her struggles and slight limitations. As part of the team with her own uniform and locker, Ward taught the Zips many valuable life lessons. She passed away in December of 2010 but will forever be remembered in the hearts of the Akron softball team.

The 2010 season marked the 25-year anniversary celebration of the 1984 and 1985 Zips National Championship runners-up teams.  Jones, her staff and team were excited to share in the celebration of UA’s past of softball successes.

“With such a rich history of success, it is extremely important to us to have our storied alumni active in our program,” said Jones. “Our annual alumni game is a highlight each year and we are so pleased that 40 to 50 or our past players join us each fall. We hope that our current players build relationships with our alumni and remain a part of our program for a lifetime.”

Jones was named head softball coach at Akron in July 2006. She came to Akron after 10 seasons, including a stellar 2006 campaign, as head coach at Cleveland State where she led the Vikings to a 38-15 mark, including an appearance in the Horizon League tournament semifinals.

“Being an Akron native, I am excited to make the move to the University of Akron,” Jones said at the time of her hiring. “The University has made a great commitment to the program, and I know we can be successful here. This program is heading in the right direction.”

During her tenure at CSU, Jones mentored 34 all-conference selections, a league player of the year, and three pitchers of the year. During the 2006 season four Cleveland State players were named to the Academic All-Horizon League team, with three players earning a spot on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America softball squad. Only seven players in CSU athletics history have been named Academic All-Americans. In 1997, Jones was named the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year, leading the Vikings to the league championship and CSU’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. From 2003 to 2006 Jones led the team to three championship games. Jones ended her time at CSU with the most wins in school history of any sport accumulating 244 victories.

The Vikings were also ranked in the NFCA academic top 20 all 13 years she was at CSU, including a third-place finish in 2005 when the team posted a 3.533 GPA. She had a 244-260-2 overall mark with CSU, including an 88-68 record the last three seasons.

As head coach at CSU, Jones oversaw every facet of the program, including budgetary matters, scheduling, practice and conditioning, recruiting and camps. She also spearheaded fund raising activities, which totaled more than $35,000 each season.

From 1993-96, Jones served as an assistant coach at CSU, aiding in all aspects of the program’s administration. From 1994-97 she was also the compliance coordinator for the Vikings, serving as the campus liaison for CSU’s initial NCAA Certification Report.

An all-region and all-conference selection as a catcher at Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio, she was a four-year starter and led the Yellow Jackets to the 1992 NCAA Tournament. A standout in the classroom, she was a two-time National Softball Coaches Association All-America Scholar-Athlete and a three-time academic all-conference selection. In 1992 she was named to the academic all-region team and received an academic All-American honorable mention. She was inducted into the B-W Athletic Hall of Fame in the fall of 2003.

 A 1992 graduate of B-W with a degree in Speech, Communication and Theatre,, Jones earned a master’s degree in Applied Communication Theory and Methodology from Cleveland State in 2001. She is a graduate of Akron Garfield High School, where her number nine was retired.

In April of 2004, she was awarded a National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators scholarship to attend the NACWAA/HERS Institute for Administrative Advancement. The program provides training for women who actively desire increased administrative responsibilities in intercollegiate athletics.

A member of the NCAA Regional Softball Committee, she also serves on the Women’s Athletic Alumni Association Board of Directors at B-W.

The Julie Jones File

Hometown: Akron, Ohio
Education: Baldwin-Wallace College, 1992 - Bachelor of Arts in Speece, Communications and Theatre; Cleveland State University, 2001 - Master of Arts in Applied Communication Theory and Methodology

Coaching Career

Julie Pratt returns for her sixth season on the coaching staff at her alma mater. She was named an assistant coach at Akron in July 2006 and promoted to associate head coach in July 2007. Pratt is a steadfast part of the Zips' success on and off the field.

“I am thrilled that Julie has chosen to return to her alma mater with me,” said head coach Julie Jones said at the time of her hiring. “She has one of the best softball minds around and is a great coach. This program, our athletes and I will benefit greatly from her knowledge and love of the game.”

Prior to coming to Akron, Pratt spent one season as an assistant coach with Jones at Cleveland State. During that time she worked primarily with the hitters and outfielders and aided in the Vikings’ recruiting efforts.

“Pratt knows how to analyze the game as well as anyone,” Jones added. “She has great insight into the intricacies of our sport and has an outstanding rapport with the players which helps her share her knowledge with the team. I cannot put a value on the things she brings to our program.”

Pratt spent seven seasons at IUPUI, the last six as head coach. During her tenure in Indianapolis, she amassed a 101-191 (.346) career record and was one of two coaches in school history to accumulate at least 100 wins. In 2005, she coached IUPUI to a 20-25 overall record and 10-10 mark in league play, earning Coach of the Year honors.

She mentored 13 all-conference players and 14 Academic All-Mid-Con student-athletes as head coach. Three players were named Mid-Con Newcomer of the Year and three all-region under her tutelage.

Pratt also served as an assistant coach at Wright State from 1996-98. While there, she helped the Raiders to a then school-record 29 wins in 1997 in addition to heading up the Student-Athlete Resource Center.

A 1996 graduate of Akron with a degree in sociology and corrections, Pratt was a four-year letterwinner for the Zips at catcher and designated player. A 1994 All-Mid-American Conference selection, she ranks seventh on the career home runs list (21) and ninth on the RBI tally with 96. She still shares the single-season record for doubles with 17, is fourth in single season RBI (26) and eighth in single season home runs (9).

Pratt and her husband Chris have three children, Hunter, Savannah, and Parker.

J.J. Thornberry enters her fifth year as an assistant coach for The University of Akron, working specifically with the pitchers. An Ohio native (Marion Elgin), Thornberry played her collegiate career under current Akron head coach Julie Jones at Cleveland State University.

Thornberry was instrumental in leading the CSU program to three conference championship game appearances, pitching the final game in 2005. A four-year letterwinner at CSU, Thornberry contributed on the field in three different positions throughout her career. She began her starting role as a first-baseman and relief pitcher.

As a junior, she shared a part in the starting rotation while playing the field when not on the mound. Her senior year, she helped lead the team to a school-record 38 wins while starting every game behind the plate, finishing as an NCAA leader in walks earned and with a .281 batting average.

Aside from excelling on the field, Thornberry excelled in the classroom, graduating with a 3.99 grade point average in graphic design. She received the President’s Award for the student-athlete with the highest graduating GPA and was selected as an ESPN Academic All-American in 2006, one of only seven in CSU history.

Thornberry is currently working on her Master’s degree in art education from Akron.

Amanda Toth returns for her fourth season with Akron softball. She is currently working on a degree in Exercise Science.