By: Mike DeVine -Assistant Director – Athletic Communications, University of Utah
SALT LAKE CITY – Former Ute second baseman Jackie Sweet will receive the Occie Evans Award as the University of Utah’s top senior female athlete during the 2012-13 academic year, it was announced Wednesday.
Sweet will be honored during Utah’s Homecoming football game against Oregon State on Sat., Sept. 14 at Rice-Eccles Stadium (Kickoff at 8 p.m. MT).
“We were so fortunate to have Sweet play second base for us the last three years,” Utah Head Coach Amy Hogue said. “She was a solid defender and turned some amazing double plays over the years. Her story is a great one, with her official visit being the same weekend as her move-in date three years ago. She committed to our program just hours before classes began for the fall semester and she ended up becoming the top female athlete at Utah as a senior. What a great story.”
Sweet was Utah’s every day second baseman with 152 starts over the last three seasons to go with a .317 career batting average, .521 slugging percentage, 121 hits, 68 RBI and 16 home runs as a Ute. Defensively, she turned 46 double plays during her Ute career.
In 2013, Sweet was named to both the NFCA All-Pacific Region and Pac-12 Conference Second teams after leading Utah with a .362 batting average, .591 slugging percentage and a .432 on-base percentage. She also had a team-high 54 hits and tied for the team lead with six home runs.
The Corona, Calif., native became Utah’s first-ever Pac-12 Softball Player of the Week on Apr. 8, 2013 after hitting .550 with two doubles, a triple and a home run for a .900 slugging percentage during six games at No. 9 Oregon and in a series victory that saw the Utes take two of three at home against No. 15 UCLA.
During her junior season, Sweet tied for second in the Pac-12 with 15 double plays turned, was one of three Ute infielders to start all 56 games, finished fourth on the team with a .303 batting and also boasted a .388 on-base percentage to go with a .515 slugging percentage.
Sweet’s sophomore campaign saw her start 43 games at second base, while accumulating a .357 on-base percentage and .426 slugging percentage and turning 18 double plays.
The University of Utah softball program will host its inaugural Alumni Game Fri., Sept. 13 at Utah Softball Stadium. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. Former players who would like to participate are encouraged to contact Coach Hogue at 801.581.3514 or ahogue@huntsman.utah.edu.
