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.