FloSports honors black athletes and champions that have made an indelible impact on the sport and in their community.
2020 Hot 100 #1 Player: Jayda Coleman
Oct 9, 2017
Jayda Coleman retained the title of No. 1 softball player in the 2020 class. What makes Coleman an elite prospect is the fact that she has great physical tools in addition to playing with passion; Coleman boasts fantastic speed and explosiveness with the ability to hit for power or lay down the bunt. It's not uncommon for her to get on base via the drag bunt, then steal second and third, and finally come home on a sacrifice, fielder's choice, or passed ball. But it's her love for the game and her softball instincts and smarts that set her apart as a once-in-a-decade athlete.
The Texan will play at the 18U level this year for the Glory.
Her coach Kevin Shelton says: " is as-advertised. She has one of the highest softball IQs I've ever seen, and mentally she is ahead of most and as physically gifted as any."
And then there are the numbers. Even though every team plotted to stop the standout freshman, Coleman has put up huge numbers in high school and club ball over the last year.
As a freshman at The Colony (TX) High, Coleman earned first-team FloSoftball All-American honors and was the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year after hitting .653 with 74 runs scored, 53 steals, 12 home runs, and 32 RBIs with an amazing .705 on-base percentage. Not surprisingly, she earned every local and state honor too, including 5A all-state tournament, the district 14-5A MVP, and the Dallas Morning News Player of the Year. And then this summer, playing for Ed Naudin's 16U Glory team, Coleman once again recorded stellar numbers: a .565 batting average, 53 runs scored, 70 hits, and an impressive 39-for-42 in steals going against many of the top catchers in club ball.
At PGF Nationals -- playing against the best of the best -- Coleman was second on the team with a .375 average and led the team in runs scored while posting a .474 on-base percentage. With three years of high school and club ball to be played before she ever steps foot officially on the Oklahoma campus, it will be interesting to see how good Coleman can become. One thing is for sure, however: 2017 has shown she's not only getting better over time -- she's continued to earn her spot at the top of the FloSoftball 2020 Hot 100 rankings.
