IOWA FALLS, IOWA -- After she played her last softball game as an Ellsworth Panther earlier this month in the Region Tournament in Cedar Rapids, Gintare Paskocimaite had made sure that her name will be prominent when the standouts of ECC softball are talked about for years to come.  The shortstop from Radviliskis, Lithuania, put up some of the best offensive numbers at Ellsworth covering at least the past two decades in a career than spanned three seasons and nearly 100 games.

As a freshman in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Paskocimaite, while playing just 10 games, gave a glimpse of the impact she would have for the Panthers.  She batted .559 and slugged 7 home runs in only 34 at-bats in that first season.  By the time she concluded her final year, Paskocimaite had etched her name in the ECC record book in almost 20 single-season and career categories.  This past campaign, despite missing 10 games because of an injury, Paskocimaite hit .487, the top average for a single season this century.  She led the Panthers in runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, homers, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage with numbers that were all top-ten for a season all-time.  For her career, the two-time first team, all-Region performer is number-one in batting average (.448), runs (88) and home runs (25) and also is listed in the top-five in hits, RBIs, at-bats, doubles, triples, walks and times hit by a pitch.

Her head coach at ECC, Nate Forsyth, said, "Few players have impacted the game the way Gintare could.  She plays the game with a lot of energy.  Gintare is one of the best offensive players in the history of ECC and has set many records.  I look forward to following her career now that she is finished at Ellsworth." 

Paskocimaite, who was also a member of the Academic All-Region team throughout her time at ECC, is still in the process of deciding where she will continue her education and softball career this fall.