Jayda Coleman earns Defensive Player of the Year honors
It’ll be tough for Oklahoma’s Jayda Coleman to accomplish much more than she already has during her three years with the Sooners. In three seasons, she’s played a pivotal role in guiding Oklahoma to three straight national crowns. The Sooners’ softball team joined elite company, becoming just the second team in college softball to accomplish the feat, joining the UCLA Bruins (1988-1990).
On Friday evening, Coleman added yet another accolade to her distinguished Oklahoma career. She was named the Defensive Player of the Year by D1Softball.
Jayda Coleman had a home run robbing grab in back-to-back College World Series in 2022 and 2023
It was a night many Oklahoma fans will remember forever, and star outfielder Jayda Coleman gave them the moment that will stick out in their minds years from now: an electric home run robbing catch in the third inning of Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series finals.
With two runners on base and one out in the bottom of the third, Florida State third baseman Kalei Harding torched a 63-mph pitch deep into straight away centerfield. Coleman ran back to the wall and leaped high into the air — and came down with the ball.
“I think it’s so much adrenaline was going through my body so I just ran up and I jumped that thing and I had it in my glove and I was just so excited,” she said after the game.
It was such a tremendous catch that Coleman didn’t even realize she had made it until she came down with the baseball.
“Probably when I landed,” Coleman said. “I didn’t even know I had it as soon as it touched my glove.”
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The play proved to be a difference maker in the game. Alex Storako got Michaela Edenfield to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the inning and keep the score tied at zero.
The Seminoles would get on the board first in the next inning before Cyndey Sanders and Grace Lyons smashed back-to-back homers in the top of the fifth to give Oklahoma a 2-1 lead. The Sooners worked in another run in the sixth inning and closed out the game to win their third straight national title.
“It doesn’t ever get old,” Coleman said. “I love robbing home runs. Their center fielder got to rob a home run and it was really fun.”
Coleman finished the season with a .408 batting average, team-leading .533 on-base percentage and team-leading 1.321 OPS. She hit 17 home runs and 15 doubles with 71 runs scored, 41 walks and 16 stolen bases. She was also named to the 2023 Women’s College World Series All-Tournament team.
Oklahoma finished the year with a 61-1 record while winning its final 53 games, which is a Division I record. The team’s .984 winning percentage also goes down as a Division I record.
On3’s Peter Warren also contributed to this article.