C-NS grad named to NYS High School Softball Hall of Fame

By Sarah Hall

Editor

Jessica Phillips started playing softball when she was just 6 years old. She couldn’t have known then the acclaim the game would ultimately bring her.

On June 18, Phillips, a 2006 graduate of Cicero-North Syracuse High School, was inducted into the 2016 class of the New York State High School Softball Hall of Fame in Herkimer. It’s the latest in a long line of honors the former high school catcher has achieved; Phillips was the MVP of the 2004 James “Ace” Morabito Memorial Invitational Softball Tournament, held annually in Herkimer, the largest in-season tournament in the eastern United States. She was also named the New York State Softball Player of the Year in 2006.

Phillips, 26, said she was pleased to learn that she was chosen to be added to the hall.

“I received a phone call from Perry Novak [head of the New York State Sportswriters and Coaches Organization for Girls Sports, or NYSSCOGS] congratulating me on being inducted into the Hall of Fame. I was beyond humbled by the phone call.”

Phillips said reminiscing on the phone with Novak brought back a lot of memories.

“I hadn’t thought about high school softball in quite some time, so a lot of memories came flooding back,” she said. “It allowed me to reflect on the times and people that have made such an impact on my life and helped me become who I am today.”

In addition to helping to lead her time to two Class AA state titles in 2004 and 2006, Phillips earned seven home runs and hit .477 her senior year, when she was named Class AA NYS Player of the Year. She went on to play for the University of Binghamton Bearcats, where, as an outfielder, she was selected to the NYSSWA All-State First Team in 2006, 2007 and 2008. She set program records for career hits (180), runs (137), home runs (44), doubles (46) and walks (101), tied the program record for career RBI (122), set the program’s Division I era records for career batting (.342), on-base percentage (.470) and slugging percentage (.691), set the program’s single-season record with 15 home runs in 2010, set the program’s Division I era single-season record with a .435 batting average in 2011 and was named America All-East Rookie of the Year in 2010.

Phillips was inducted into the softball hall of fame as the Section 3 honoree at the Mudville Softball Complex in Herkimer along with 13 other former players and a former official. The New York State High School Softball Hall of Fame was established in 2012 in order to recognize the very best former players, coaches and contributors that had ever impacted the game of high school softball in the state of New York. The NYSHS Softball Hall of Fame recognizes individuals from the member high schools within the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA), the Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA), the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) and the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS).

According to Novak, this year’s class of inductees included 15 people. Sixteen were inducted last year, and the first three classes included 18 people apiece. Novak said inductees are selected based on an election process designed by NYSSCOG.

“The election process begins at the local level, with each section having a committee of sportswriters, coaches and other softball experts nominating players, coaches, and/or contributors,” he said. “Players must be at least five years out of high schools and coaches must be retired for at least three years. After each section submits its nominees during the summer, a vote is held each September by an overall state committee of similarly qualified people. Those elected are then notified by NYSSCOGS.”

He said the hall includes some of the finest players, coaches and contributors to the sport, and Phillips is no exception.

“As a player, she was terrific for Cicero-North Syracuse High School. As a human being, she is just as impressive,” Novak said. “The Hall of Fame is proud to have her as a member of the Class of 2016.”

Phillips said she was grateful for the recognition, not just for her achievements on the field, but for those who helped her along the way.

“The award is beyond humbling, but it celebrates all of the ‘behind-the-scenes’ stuff that always goes unnoticed — my parents putting in countless hours of practice, miles in the car, and a few ER visits; my brother supporting me every step of the way; my entire family has been nothing short of a solid support system,” she said. “It recognizes my coaches, my friends and my rivals. Without such a driving force, I would not be who I am today. I appreciate you all.”

Now a first grade teacher for the Union Endicott Central School District, Phillips said she no longer plays softball, besides the occasional pickup slow-pitch game.

“I do miss it, though,” she said. “I miss the competitive nature of the game. I miss the time it allowed me to spend with my family and traveling the country to play a game I love. I miss the feeling of being on a family that is working their tails off for each other.”

Hall of famers

The members of the New York State High School Softball Hall of Fame Class of 2016 are:

aLaura Sweeney-Johnson (Section 1 – John Jay/East Fishkill High School)

aLinda Soto-Vazquez (Section 1 – North Rockland High School)

aAbby Arceneaux (Section 2 – Mechanicville High School)

aAmanda Morin (Section 2 – South Glens Falls High School)

aJessica Phillips (Section 3 – Cicero North Syracuse High School)

aEmily Ling Cotcamp (Section 4 – Chenango Valley High School)

aBarb Marean (Section 4 – Maine Endwell High School)

aRachael Wiggins (Section 4 – Susquehanna Valley High School)

aVeronica Maher (Section 5 – Warsaw High School)

aKim Kaul (Section 6 – West Seneca West High School)