Hempstead, NY ? Former softball players Stacy Jackson (1992-95) and Alicia Smith (1997-2000) will have their jersey numbers retired on Sunday, prior to the Hofstra Softball team's game against Georgia State at 12 p.m. at Hofstra Softball Stadium.
In an effort to acknowledge the outstanding accomplishments of numerous former student-athletes during the University's nearly 75 years of existence, Hofstra University has announced that a group of 20 past Pride athletes will have their jersey numbers retired this academic year. The list is highlighted by National Football League (NFL) star Marques Colston of the New Orleans Saints and National Basketball Association (NBA) veteran Craig "Speedy" Claxton of the Atlanta Hawks.
"The honoring of these 20 former student-athletes is a celebration of the outstanding history of Hofstra Athletics," commented Hofstra University Director of Athletics Jack Hayes.
Jackson (#19) arrived at Hofstra in 1992 and helped bring the program to national prominence. As a freshman, she guided Hofstra to a 35-7-1 record and an East Coast Conference championship. As a sophomore, she opened the season with a 1-0 shutout win over 19th-ranked Oklahoma State and helped the program reach its first ever NCAA Tournament. She capped off her career as a senior by bringing Hofstra back to the NCAA Tournament, where it picked up its first NCAA win with a 3-0 shutout over Massachusetts.
Jackson graduated as the program's all-time leader in pitching victories with 96, a standard which has not been approached since. She also held the school's strikeout record with 638, until current senior Kayleigh Lotti (South Attleboro, MA) broke the mark last spring. She still holds the single season record for wins with 26, which she accomplished twice, and the career record for no-hitters with six.
Smith (#23) had a tremendous impact on the Hofstra Softball program as both a hitter and pitcher. She remains the school's all-time record holder with 271 career hits and is fifth in RBI (136), third in runs scored (152) and second in both doubles (54) and triples (14). She also currently ranks fourth in career pitching victories with 71 and fifth in strikeouts with 372. Smith was named a second team All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) in 2000 and was a first team Academic All-America selection that season as well.
As a freshman in 1997, Smith finished with a .401 batting average, becoming the fifth Hofstra player to bat .400 in a season (nobody has done it since). She earned 21 pitching victories as both a junior and senior, and capped off her career by batting .387 her senior season at the plate. During her senior year, she pitched all 20 innings in a marathon 3-2 win over Delaware in the CAA Tournament, and came back the next day to throw a shutout in a 1-0 win over Boston University in the title game. She also led the Pride to a 2-1 win over #18 Louisiana-Lafayette in the 2000 NCAA Tournament, when she drove in both runs at the plate and picked up the complete-game win in the pitching circle.
Jackson and Smith will be the second and third Hofstra Softball players to have their numbers retired, joining Crystal Boyd (#13), who had her number retired last season. Current junior Stefanie Feinstein (West Chester, PA) and sophomore Laura Valentino (Smithtown, NY) are wearing #23 and #19, respectively, and will be permitted to wear those numbers until their careers are over.
Admission for Sunday's contest, and all Hofstra home softball games, is free of charge.
