When young Jayda Coleman stepped into the box, fans whipped out their phones.
Cedric Coleman couldn’t figure out why every time his 10-year-old daughter came up to bat, opposing coaches and casual observers alike took notice. He didn’t think much of it, but as Coleman stepped up to the plate for her third at-bat of the game, phones came out again. She didn’t disappoint, promptly lacing a single to centerfield and stealing second on the next pitch without hesitation.
“I talked to the coach after the game and asked why they were filming her,” Cedric said, “and he told me ‘Jayda is special. We just want to show our girls how she runs bases and how aggressive she is at the plate.’ At that point, I started thinking, ‘OK, she is pretty special. We might have something here.’”
Since that moment, people haven’t stopped noticing the special softball talents Coleman possesses. She dominated the high school ranks, winning a state title as a freshman and collecting six All-State honors throughout her four years. She was a three-time high school All-American and the consensus No. 1 recruit in her class.
Coleman could have played for any softball program in the country, but she landed at OU, and that choice has worked out quite well for her. The Sooners are currently on pace to have the best season in collegiate softball history, boasting a 39-1 record.
The left-handed slugger is a staple in the No. 1 Oklahoma lineup, whether playing centerfield, shortstop or first base. After all the success she’s had in high school, she’s having more at OU and is a huge component of the Sooners’ push for their fifth NCAA championship. Winning that title is one of her chief aspirations.
Sooner softball signee Jayda Coleman holds the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award. Coleman signed with OU in June.
‘I knew she was going to be special’
Coleman grew up with a softball in her hand. Both her parents were softball coaches, with Cedric leading her travel ball teams and her mom, Deana, coaching her high school team in The Colony, Texas.
There weren’t many summer weekends where Coleman wasn’t playing, and winning. Her teams dominated tournaments all the way west in California, and with the great team success came individual attention.
For most college athletes, high school is prime time for recruiting, but for Coleman, that started much earlier. She can still remember her first scholarship offer, and that isn’t quite surprising, given the unique circumstances that came with it.
“In my recruiting process, I got my first offer the summer after my sixth-grade year,” Coleman said. “It was from Texas A&M and I was just in shock and didn’t even quite understand it.”
Cedric still remembers the moment it happened, as A&M head coach Jo Evans called the Coleman house to let them know their daughter would have a chance to play for the Aggies. Texas A&M’s program has made the Women’s College World Series three times under Evans and is just over three hours away from the Coleman household. In the moment, Cedric had to ask himself if the situation was even real.
While the offer was special, many more followed. Coleman could have practically picked her school in the recruiting process, gaining offers from nearly every major program. Given the many visits Coleman took, especially at a young age, there are some she remembers better than others. However, there’s one she remembers every detail from.
She took a visit to Norman her freshman year of high school and was sold. Coleman still remembers getting to walk around campus with Erin Miller, the Sooners’ senior outfielder who finished her career as a Co-Big 12 Player of the Year, two-time All-Big 12 first-team selection, a 2016 second-team NFCA All-American, and a two-time national champion. Miller remembers that visit, too.
“Coach Gasso talked about how there was a left-handed shortstop coming on a visit who was the hottest recruit in the nation, and I needed to do everything in my power to get her to become a Sooner,” Miller said. “We hit it off and just seeing the way she is and how awesome her family is, I knew she was going to be special.”
Coleman fell in love with everything about the visit, from getting to spend time with Miller, getting to see the campus, the tradition and ultimately the program head coach Patty Gasso had built. She knew it was the place she wanted to be.
Cedric still remembers his daughter telling their family where she wanted to commit. He and Jayda went on countless visits together, and after their trip to Norman, Jayda was certain she was meant to be a Sooner — not just for playing softball, but also because she loved the university and people. She expressed how much she felt like she fit in at Oklahoma, and how much she saw herself in the current players.
“I always tell people I just drove the truck,” Cedric said. “It was totally her decision and she took her time and told us, ‘I want to go to OU and I want to go to Oklahoma, even if I don’t play softball. I just love it there.’”
Freshman utility Jayda Coleman during the game against Liberty in the Hall of Fame Tournament at the USA Softball Hall Of Fame Stadium on March 14.
‘It brings out the best in her’
Coleman shot up the high school softball rankings and entered her senior season as the unanimous No. 1 recruit in the nation. It’s a title many want to have, but few know the target that comes with it.
“Every time she would get out, people would be posting about how they got the number one player out,” Cedric said. “I told her to remember, with that ranking comes a lot of pressure.”
Kevin Shelton saw Coleman’s tenacity firsthand, coaching her on the Texas Glory travel ball team she played for in high school. He saw her in plenty of big games and big moments at her highest and her lowest on the field.
In high school, Coleman tried out for the U.S. Junior National Team. Being the No. 1 player in the nation, it was assumed she would have a roster spot. After a rocky start, however, things weren’t looking great.
She made more errors in the first 30 minutes of drills than Shelton had ever seen. Things were beginning to look worrisome for the top prospect, but Coleman settled down, talked to her parents at a break and ended up finishing the tryout in a way that left no doubt about whether she deserved a spot to represent her country. She went 9-for-12 at the plate to finish the event, putting up an incredible stat line against some of the best pitchers in the country.
“She went on to make the team, and it was just impressive to see the way she responded,” Shelton said.
“Whenever there are big games or big moments, it brings out the best in her.”
Freshman utility Jayda Coleman during the game against Liberty in the Hall of Fame Tournament at the USA Softball Hall Of Fame Stadium on March 14.
‘My goal is to win a national championship’
There’s no doubt more big moments are headed Coleman’s way.
She’s having a freshman season that every softball player in America would envy. She’s hitting near .500, is starting for the No. 1 team in the nation and she’s playing for one of the best collegiate coaches ever.
While it would be easy to take credit for all the success, she’s quick to point the credit elsewhere. She says it’s all due to her family, teammates and coaches.
“I love how humble she is with all the accolades and popularity,” Cedric said. “She is living an unbelievable dream with playing at OU, being Gatorade Player of the Year, winning a gold medal with Team USA and, on top of that, being Homecoming Queen in high school, but she is so humble through it all and I am so proud of her.”
Shelton echoes the same sentiment.
“She never cares about Jayda, it’s always about the team,” Shelton said. “She pulls teams together, is such a good teammate and her humility just stands out. She understands that those things matter and is never worried about the future, just about being her best right now.”
Coleman’s freshman season hasn’t gone quite like she envisioned. If anything, it’s gone better. She knew it would be a battle competing for playing time with some of the best talent in the country, but given her versatility, speed and high softball IQ, it’s tough for Gasso to keep her out of the lineup.
“To crack the starting nine and be hitting almost .500 on a team that appears as if they are going to win a national title, it just speaks volumes about her talent, athleticism and mental maturity,” Miller said. “People just have no idea how good you have to be to do that.”
She has started all 40 games for the No. 1 Sooners this year and is putting up eye-popping numbers. She’s hitting .486, has recorded 34 RBIs, hit five home runs and stolen one base. Those are numbers many players would covet, but Coleman doesn’t think twice about it.
“It is surreal playing alongside these teammates,” Coleman said. “I remember watching Nicole Mendes pitch in the College World Series when nobody knew she was a pitcher, and then I can look over and see I’m playing alongside Jocelyn Alo who is literally the best home run hitter in softball. It is just incredible to know them.”
In May, the Sooners will look to capture their fifth national title at Hall of Fame Stadium, just 40 minutes away from Norman in Oklahoma City. There’s no doubt Coleman will play an integral role in that pursuit. The Sooners’ most likely foe will be the No. 2 UCLA Bruins (28-3, 10-2 Pac 12), who defeated Oklahoma in the 2019 national championship.
For Coleman, however, the numbers and stats don’t matter, and neither do the accolades she has collected. There’s one goal for her time in Norman, and in typical fashion, it doesn’t have anything to do with her. It simply involves making the most of that 40-minute drive down Interstate 35.
“My goal is to win a national championship,” Coleman said. “Whatever I have to do, whatever position, whatever spot in the lineup, I just want to contribute to this team and win a national championship. That is my goal here.”
