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Jayda Coleman

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Jayda Coleman
Oklahoma City Spark
Utility
Born: (2001-09-27) September 27, 2001 (age 23)
The Colony, Texas
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Women's softball
Representing the  United States
U-19 Women's Softball World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2019 Irvine Team
USA Softball International Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Columbus Team

Jayda Coleman (born September 27, 2001) is an American professional softball player for the Oklahoma City Spark of the Association of Fastpitch Professionals (AFP). She played college softball at Oklahoma where she won the Women's College World Series championship four consecutive years. She also represented the United States at the 2019 U-19 Women's Softball World Cup and USA Softball International Cup.

High school career

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Coleman attended The Colony High School in The Colony, Texas. During her high school career she was a six-time All-State honoree and three-time All-American. During the 2017 season, she hit .653 with 12 home runs and 81 hits in 40 games, and she led the Dallas-Fort Worth area with 74 runs scored and 53 stolen bases as The Colony won the Class 5A state championship. Following the season she was named MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year.[1]

During her senior year, she batted .717 with 42 runs scored, 41 steals, 29 RBI and 10 triples. She also was 12–0 in the circle with a 0.89 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 55 innings of work before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the season, she was named the 2019–20 Gatorade Softball Player of the Year.[2] She finished her career with a .702 batting average, 279 career hits, 261 runs, and 209 stolen bases and holds the state record for most runs all-time in the Dallas area.[3] She was the consensus No. 1 recruit in her class.[4]

College career

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Coleman began her collegiate career for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2021. Coleman was named the Big 12 Player of the Week for the week ending May 11, 2021. She finished the weekend batting .625 with six RBIs, one home run, one double and nine putouts from centerfield.[5] She finished the season with a .478 batting average, with 46 RBI, 66 runs scored, 31 walks, eight home runs and 19 stolen bases, with a team-best .584 on-base percentage. Her on-base percentage and stolen bases ranked first in the Big 12 and she was second behind her teammate Tiare Jennings in runs scored and batting average. She ranked in the top 10 nationally in runs per game (3rd), doubles (4th) on-base percentage (5th) and batting average (8th).[6]

During game three of the championships series at the 2021 Women's College World Series, Coleman was 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI to help the Sooners win the national championship.[7] Following an outstanding season she was named first team All-Big 12, all-Big 12 Freshman team, and first team All-American.[8][9] She was also named a top-three finalist for NFCA National Freshman of the Year.[10]

During her sophomore year in 2022, she batted .429, with seven home runs, 37 RBIs, a .590 on-base percentage and led the team with 13 stolen bases. Her .590 on-base percentage ranked third in the NCAA. In the field, she had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 32 putouts and three assists. During conference play, she held a conference-best on-base percentage of .614 with 17 walks, four stolen bases and 21 runs, including one home run, two doubles and eight RBIs. Following the season she was named a first-team All-American.[11]

During her junior year in 2023, she led the Big 12 in on-base percentage, runs per game, slugging percentage and total bases. Following the season she was named Big 12 Conference Softball Player of the Year.[12] She helped lead Oklahoma to their third consecutive national championship.[13][14]

During her senior year in 2024, she started all 65 games and hit .385 with nine doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, and 44 RBI.[3] Coleman was 0-for-3 in game one of the 2024 Women's College World Series semifinals against Florida. During game two she was 1-for-3 with a bunt single and a walk, and struck out in the first inning and popped up to short in the sixth. Prior to her final at-bat, Alyssa Brito prayed over Coleman. She then hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to help Oklahoma advance to the Women's College World Series finals.[15][16][17] She helped lead Oklahoma to their fourth consecutive national championship.[18][19]

Professional career

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On June 17, 2024, Coleman signed with the Oklahoma City Spark of the AFP.[20][21]

International career

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Coleman represented the United States at the 2019 U-19 Women's Softball World Cup. She was one of only two high-school athletes on the team and posted a .522 batting average with 12 hits, six runs, four RBIs, and won gold. She also represented the United States at the 2019 USA Softball International Cup where she posted a .375 batting average with one home run, five RBI, six runs scored, and won bronze.[22][23]

Personal life

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Coleman was born to Deana and Cedric Coleman, and has two siblings, Ashley Wilkerson and Jhanna Coleman. Her mother competed collegiately at Texas Woman's University, while her father competed collegiately at North Central Texas College.[3]

On January 1, 2024, Coleman's boyfriend, college football player Billy Bowman Jr., proposed to her.[24]

References

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  1. ^ Riddle, Greg (July 17, 2017). "The Colony's Jayda Coleman named national freshman of the year; see the rest of D-FW's softball All-Americans". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  2. ^ "Jayda Coleman named 2019-20 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year". NFCA.org. June 12, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Jayda Coleman". soonersports.com. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  4. ^ "OU softball: Sooners' Jayda Coleman, whose 'goal is to win a national title,' flashes star power in freshman season". oudaily.com. April 30, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  5. ^ "Sooners Sweep Big 12 Weekly Awards". soonersports.com. May 11, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  6. ^ "Coleman, Jennings Freshman of the Year Finalists". soonersports.com. May 27, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  7. ^ Rohde, John (June 10, 2021). "Sooners Capture Fifth National Championship". soonersports.com. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  8. ^ "2021 All-Big 12 Softball Awards Unveiled". big12sports.com. May 12, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  9. ^ "2021 Big 12 Softball National Honors". big12sports.com. May 20, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  10. ^ "Cagle, Coleman, Jennings named top three finalists for 2021 NFCA / Schutt Sports Division I National Freshman of the Year". NFCA.org. May 27, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  11. ^ "Five Sooners Named First Team All-Americans". soonersports.com. June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  12. ^ "2023 All-Big 12 Softball Awards Announced". big12sports.com. May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  13. ^ Post, J.J. (June 8, 2023). "Oklahoma softball joins elite company with title three-peat". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  14. ^ Auerbach, Nicole (June 8, 2023). "Oklahoma softball wins third consecutive national title: How Sooners cemented a dynasty". The Athletic. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  15. ^ Chapman, Ryan (June 5, 2024). "OU Softball: How Oklahoma's Jayda Coleman Calmed Herself and Used 'Every Single Ounce' to Get to WCWS Finals". si.com. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  16. ^ "Coleman's Walk-Off Sends Sooners to Women's College World Series Championship Finals". big12sports.com. June 4, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  17. ^ Kassim, Ehsan (June 4, 2024). "Look: Jayda Coleman walk-off home run sends Oklahoma softball to WCWS championship series". The Oklahoman. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  18. ^ Bardahl, Jayna (June 6, 2024). "Oklahoma claims historic 4-peat with WCWS championship finals Game 2 win over Texas". The New York Times. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  19. ^ Curtright, Austin (June 6, 2024). "Oklahoma softball wins fourth straight championship: Social media reactions to Sooner dynasty". The Oklahoman. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  20. ^ Chapman, Ryan (June 17, 2024). "OU Softball: Oklahoma City Spark Signs Oklahoma Trio to Professional Contracts". si.com. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  21. ^ Young, Mason (June 17, 2024). "OKC Spark signs OU softball's Kinzie Hansen, Jayda Coleman and Rylie Boone". Tulsa World. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  22. ^ "Jayda Coleman". teamusa.org. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  23. ^ Riddle, Greg (August 17, 2019). "The Colony's Jayda Coleman and Team USA win Under-19 Softball World Cup in thriller". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  24. ^ "OU football DB Billy Bowman, softball star Jayda Coleman announce engagement". The Oklahoman. January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
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