JennySchaper

Junior (2018): Kentucky’s starting everyday catcher … Great receiver of the ball … UK’s most improved hitter … Was an RBI machine with 35 on the season … Home runs against New Mexico State, Cal State Fullerton, Ohio, NIU and UIC … Hit a walk-off grand slam in the NCAA Lexington Regional opening round – it was her first-career grand slam as a Wildcat … Also playing a little first base this year when she is not catching, or will start in the DP slot … Has 13 multi-hit games, and scored a run in 20 games, including three of the last six games of the season … Broke up Kelly Barnhill’s no-hitter with a second-inning walk on March 9 … Had a walk-off single against Louisville with the bases loaded to give UK the run-rule win … Hit a home run in UK’s come-from-behind win over Tennessee on April 27. 

Sophomore (2017): Hit the game-winning solo home run in the top of the 11th inning to give UK a 2-1 win at No. 5 UCLA in Westwood … Is UK’s primary catcher … Has seven HR’s this season, surpassing her 2016 freshman season tally of longballs … Had a HR and a triple against Illinois-Chicago in the same game … Played travel ball with UK’s Katie Reed on the same team in St. Louis … Has five multi-hit games this season including against No. 7 Oregon, Memphis, Southern Illinois and Illinois-Chicago in addition to Sunday’s win at Mizzou to clinch a sweep … Was moved up to the lead-off spot after UK was run-ruled by Tennessee on Friday, April 7 … Has a .997 fielding percentage this season, and is UK’s all-time leader for career fielding percentage with a .996 average and committed her first error of the season on Sunday trying to throw out a baserunner at third – and it hit the runner in the back getting away into foul territory … Went 1-for-1 vs. Louisville with four plate appearances, doubling and then walking her other three times up in her first game of the season in the No. 3 batting slot … Had an RBI single vs. Florida on Saturday, and also had one of two UK hits against Kelly Barnhill on Friday night … Had three RBI’s vs. Eastern Kentucky for her first three-RBI game of her career … Had a HR off Samantha Show of Texas A&M to give UK a 5-3 lead in the sixth … Had a two-RBI double in the first inning againt DePaul on the opening day of the NCAA Tournament. 

Freshman (2016): Has started a majority of games begind the plate for Kentucky … Will catch most – if not all – of Kelsey Nunley’s games this season … Has 28 hits on the season, including seven doubles … Four doubles have been RBI-doubles, coming against Winthrop, Murray State, Oregon in the Kajikawa Classic and then South Carolina in the SEC Opening Weekend … Her double against Oregon scored the game-winning run over the fourth-ranked Ducks … Scored an RBI double in Saturday’s 5-2 win against South Carolina … Scored her first career home run at Arkansas on Friday afternoon, on a weekend when she scored an .875 batting average over the weekend … Hit a home run, her second of the season against Missouri on Friday night to left field … Hit her second HR in four games at WKU on Wedesday night to LF.

Pre-College: A four-year letterwinner at Lutheran High School South in St. Louis, Schaper helped the Lancers to state sectionals her sophomore and junior seasons behind some impressive offensive numbers. Her senior season she hit .468 with a .566 on-base percentage, .613 slugging percentage and perfect fielding percentage. The strong senior campaign – which Schaper missed three weeks of due to injury – led her to all-state and team most valuable player honors. Schaper broke the school record with a .592 batting average her sophomore season with 10 doubles, eight homers, 38 RBI and no strikeouts at the plate. Schaper, described in a story by STLhighschoolsports.com as a “defensive whiz,” had a perfect fielding percentage her sophomore year. The strong season led Schaper to first-team all-district, all-conference, all-region and all-state honors. She was also named the conference player of the year her sophomore season and the team’s most valuable player. Her junior year, Schaper hit .416 with a .516 on-base percentage, .688 slugging percentage, 11 doubles, 30 RBI and two home runs. Schaper, who is on fullcountsoftball.com’s national watch list, was named all-district, all-conference and all-region her junior year, adding team MVP honors. Coached in high school by Linda McQueen, who says Schaper is “a great hitter and has an unbelievable arm … She is just the total player.” Schaper played for the St. Louis Chaos in travel ball, helping the squad place fifth at 2014 USA/ASA 18u Gold Nationals along with fellow UK signee Katie Reed. Chaos coach Evan Beatty says Schaper is “so mechanically sound that she avoids going into slumps. I expect her to break a lot of records.” A member of the Athletic Leadership Program and National Honor Society, Schaper is an honor roll student. She is the daughter of Jim and Marcia Schaper and has a brother, Nick and sister, Katie.