SALEM, Ore. – Jessie Isham, one of Corban University softball's all-time best players, will continue her athletic career at the professional level, signing a contract to play in the Netherlands for Sparks Haarlem.
"I am extremely excited for this opportunity," said Isham. "I want to thank coach Farler and our wonderful coaching staff for helping me get to where I am today. I also want to thank Corban University for helping me grow in my faith, and for giving me some of the greatest lifelong friendships. I have grown so much in these past three years."
Sparks, a club based out of Haarlem, Holland, is a premier overseas destination for elite softball players. The team competes in the Golden League of the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation, which is under the broader umbrella of the European Softball Federation, an organization that hosts top tournaments such as the Women's European Premier Cup (WEPC) and Europa Cup.
"The opportunity for Jessie to play in Europe is truly special," said Isham's head coach over the past three years, Abigail Farler. "It is an honor for her to be able to represent not only Corban University, but also the NAIA, our state, and our country while she is in the Netherlands. This is a testament to her athletic ability and all the hard work that she has put in throughout her career, and she will have the opportunity to compete with some incredible athletes."
Isham won't be the only local product competing for the team, as she is joined by fellow Salem natives Katie Donovan and Alexa Peterson-Henderson on the squad.
Donovan, who competed at South Salem High School, was a three-time All-Pac-12 honoree at the University of Utah, where she ranks fourth in school history in career wins (64) and third in the program record books in career strikeouts (561). She was named the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2018 to cap off her illustrious career with the Utes.
Peterson-Henderson, also a product of South Salem, was a four-time All-Pac-12 award-winner at the University of Oregon. During her time there, she helped the Ducks reach the NCAA College World Series twice, and was named to the All-World Series tournament team in 2012. The 2013 NFCA First-Team All-American ranked in Oregon's all-time top-10 in career batting average (.360), home runs (30), and RBIs (153).
Peterson-Henderson was selected by the USSSA Pride with the 11th overall pick in the 2014 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) draft. She would go on to play for the Pennsylvania Rebellion, Chicago Bandits, and Cleveland Comets.
"The fact that Jessie will be competing alongside two top players from the Pac-12 says a lot about Sparks Haarlem's confidence in her skillset," Farler added.
Isham herself will go down as one of the best to ever don the Navy and Gold. She received Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Newcomer of the Year recognition in 2017, was a three-time First-Team All-Conference honoree, a CCC Gold-Glove recipient, a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District student-athlete, and an NAIA All-American. In addition, her incredible numbers in 2019 (.456 average, 9 HR, 53 RBIs, .794 slugging percentage) make her a prime candidate for further accolades yet.
During her three-year tenure with the Warriors, she batted .393 (fourth-best in program history), crushed 35 home runs (third-most in program history), and drove in a total of 151 runs (second-most in program history).
Isham will travel to Holland to join the team in August.
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