Florida High Softball Player Jaysoni Beachum Voted ITG Next Florida Female Athlete of the Month
One of the top softball teams in Florida this season has been Florida High. The Seminoles have simply been dominant at times, thanks in part to a lineup that’s averaging nearly nine runs per game. One of the leaders of that lineup is Jaysoni Beachum, who was voted as our ITG Next Florida Female Athlete of the Month for March with 78.25 percent of the votes.
Entering the week of April 11 with a .561 average and eight home runs, Beachum is one of the most productive hitters in the state, and she enjoyed a truly phenomenal month of March. During the month, she went a combined 18-for-31 at the plate (.581) with seven home runs, 17 RBI and four stolen bases.
“The impact on the field that Jaysoni brings is not only an explosive bat, but she is also a threat on the base path,” said Florida High softball head coach Brittany Gilliam. “She is quick, smart, and looks a base ahead each time.
“It’s beneficial to us knowing she can spark something at anytime. It puts pressure on other teams – do you take a chance and pitch to her, do you put her on base and risk her to get into scoring position? No matter what position she is put in, her teammates have comfort knowing she is in the box and as a coach I have faith knowing that Jay is going to give her best effort to get it done.
“She is human and makes mistakes like the rest of us, but she is also the most self-disciplined athlete I have coached in my four years’ experience. It is hard to beat her twice.”
While the numbers are certainly impressive, Beachum’s impact on this Seminoles team goes beyond her performance on the field.
“I think the impact she makes off the field is what also makes her impressive,” Gilliam said. “You will never see her be negative to herself, her teammates, or coaches. She carries herself in a way that is contagious to everyone around her. We have only known her for a few months and she fits right into our group.”
With the 2022 season beginning to approach playoff time, expectations are building for this Florida High team.
“I am expecting the same Jaysoni through playoffs,” Gilliam said. “She is consistent and confident. The jump that I want her to make as we approach playoffs is to use her voice and fill that leadership role for us. I know when she speaks, others will listen.
“I expect my team overall to take it one game at a time,” she continued. “It is important to look at what is right in front of us instead of games down the road. Control what we can control and don’t press, but continue to put our best team on the field every time we play.”
Congratulations to Florida High’s Jaysoni Beachum, our ITG Next Florida Female Athlete of the Month for March.
