Get to know Jackson Polar Bears鈥� senior pitcher Julia Gossett
MASSILLON, Ohio — Julia Gossett would never have made a good cheerleader. Too much jumping and hollering involved. Gossett’s contributions come with a softball in her hand, not pom poms. The unassuming senior star pitcher and leader of the Jackson Polar Bears softball team knows how she can best impact her school and team, even if she’s clueless when it comes to rattling off her accomplishments.
Ask Gossett how many no-hitters, strikeouts or wins she has contributed to the program, and you’ll get the same answer. “I don’t know,” she says. Well, somebody knows. Her coach, Adam Parker knows. And most recently, so does Purdue University, where Gossett has accepted a college scholarship to continue her academic and athletic career next year for the Boilermakers. She is Jackson’s Most Valuable Player in each of the last two seasons, First Team All-Federal League, First Team Northeast Ohio District and Second Team All-Ohio. Blending an assortment of five different pitches–the fastball, change-up, curve, slider, and riser, Gossett recorded 69 strikeouts across 39 innings pitched, four victories, one save and one shutout. At the plate, she is equally impressive with four doubles, two home runs, four stolen bases, and a whopping 15 walks in 30 plate appearances through the Bears’ first six games. She carries a .400 batting average and an on-base percentage of .700. Not that Gossett keeps track of any of this, mind you.
“Julia started throwing off a mound when she was six years old, ” said Coach Parker. “She works harder than anyone I know. She finds a way to be better every day. She’s just a great competitor and has an on-switch all the time. I love that about her.” Parker, who has previously coached girls’ softball at Louisville and Dalton High Schools, says he has seen talented players before now. What he hasn’t seen is talent to go along with a work ethic that Gossett possesses. “When you have both combined,” said the coach, “that’s what makes her really special.”
The coach said he first met Gossett last September in the weight room where Gossett worked with her own personal trainer. “She’s just wired differently than most kids,” Parker noted. “She pushes our younger players to be better. She is that type of leader, a leader by example. It comes from an internal source and you can’t coach that. I see it every single day.”
Parker pointed to a game against Lake where Gossett twirled a shutout and belted a pair of home runs in a 4-0 Jackson win. When the game is on the line, Parker knows he can rely on his soft-spoken leader. “I started playing 12 years ago, and I have two older brothers who played football and basketball,” Gossett said. “They always pushed me, and I wanted to be like them. Things just escalated, and Mom and Dad have always been very supportive.” The Gossett family moved here from Tennessee. Julia had offers and paid visits to Memphis, DePaul, Mississippi State, Michigan, and Ohio University before deciding on Purdue.
“The academics at Purdue are just stellar,” said Gossett, 18, who will major in veterinary science. “I loved the campus, and when I can’t play softball anymore, I still want to be happy.” She credits her catcher, Morgan Christopher, only a sophomore, with much of her pitching success. “She’s a rock behind the plate, and we know how to attack and what we want to do.” “I trust her to make the right decisions,” added Parker. “Her teammates know she has their backs.”
Gossett’s success isn’t just limited to her performance as a senior. In 2021, she fashioned six shutouts as a sophomore, and last year 10 shutouts, including a no-hitter. That will get Purdue’s attention! “I’m proud to wear the name ‘Jackson’ across my chest every day,” she says. “I always want to put my best foot forward in representing the program.”
Maybe Julia Gossett is reserved by nature. But a statement like that speaks volumes!
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.