MCC names softball coach

Elizabeth Jacoby

Elizabeth Jacoby assumes her coaching duties immediately and begins her classroom assignments beginning with fall 2009 semester, when she joins the MCC faculty to teach English.

Jacoby has a Master's degree in English from Eastern Illinois University and has a background in composition and rhetoric with a creative emphasis. She also has a Bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

As a player at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Jacoby earned a spot in the 2004 WCWS Regional in Ann Arbor, Michigan, leading her squad to wins over top seeded Bowling Green, Notre Dame, and tenth-ranked Tennessee.

Jacoby fills the English position vacated by Sandy Buelow, who is getting married at the end of this month and moving to California with her husband.

"We are extremely excited to welcome Ms. Jacoby to McCook Community College as our new instructor of English and as our new women's softball coach," said Michele Gill, Mid-Plains Community College Area dean of student life.

Gill said that in addition to bringing a wealth of playing and recruiting knowledge to the college, Jacoby will build the program into a solid competitor among the Region IX competition that her teams will face.

In 2006, Jacoby appeared in 44 games (after recovering from shoulder surgery early in the season) as a catcher and the designated player role and batted a career-high .302.

She batted .411 in the Horizon League Tournament with six RBIs and went 3-for-4 with a season-high four RBIs and two doubles in a 7-0 victory over Butler in UIC's opening game in the tournament.

In 2005, she appeared in 53 games for UIC as the Flames' primary catcher, batted .255 with a career-high eight home runs and 30 RBI.

She was named the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year in 2004 and named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team, appearing in 48 games as a freshman, playing both catcher and right field and led all UIC rookies with a .296 batting average, two home runs and 17 RBI.

She is a four-year letter winner at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Ill, where she helped the Spartans to four conference titles and three sectional appearances during her tenure.

She batted .396 as a senior leading her team in hits and home runs and did not strike out as a senior. She was a three-time All-ESCC honoree.

And was the Illinois Times Player of the Year in 2001 and named to the top-100 players in Chicagoland list 2001-2003.

"We are looking forward to her leadership of our softball program and are confident and excited of the heights she will take our program to under her direction," Gill said.