All-Metro Team, Player of the year Jayden Boydstun gave everything to get better

Published 7:41 pm Friday, July 9, 2021

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Delta Charter junior Jayden Boydstun led her team with a batting average of .548 and struck out 37 batters in 54 innings pitched. Her efforts on and off the field make her the 2021 All-Metro softball player of the year.

This season was fairly normal apart from her choosing to not play basketball, she said. Instead, she opted to focus on giving everything to get better at softball. Her love for the game fueled her.

“I worked a lot harder in the offseason,” Boydstun said. “It is a good place for me to come and be in my own little place. I came out here and hit batting practice with my Uncle. I fielded ground balls with him too.”

Email newsletter signup

Before the 2021 season, she was on the field three or four days a week and hit for an hour or two. She felt her fundamentals improved because of the work she put in.

Delta Charter was a young team with just two seniors, three juniors, four to five sophomores and the rest were younger, she said. Having young players meant the team lacked experience.

As the season progressed, she said the team got better. Her role on the team was to do whatever she could to help them win. She said she feels excitement when she takes the field.

“You get to go play your best game,” Boydstun said. “I have played softball for 14 years. I grew up with coaches so I was always playing something and softball was always my favorite.”

Her grandmother Carolyn Boydstun played softball, so she wanted to play. Carolyn died when she was nine, but she keeps playing softball close to her grandmother. Her name is on the scoreboard at Delta Charter.

“Most of the time I forget it is there. I’m always focused on what is in the field and not what is outside of it,” Boydstun said. “It is always good to have her right there.”

On the field, Boydstun is in her own zone, she said. When she pitches, she is just focused on getting strikes and outs.

Over the summer, she is playing softball with a travel team in Converse, Louisiana. Boydstun has to travel three hours to go to practice once a week. Travel ball keeps her in softball shape both physically and mentally. She is trying to get better before her senior year but is not sure if she wants to play softball in college.

“If it helps pay for college I will, but I’m not looking anywhere in particular,” Boydstun said.

2021 All-Metro Team players are:

ACCS — Becca Cowan had 39 strikeouts in 98 innings pitched for ACCS. She batted .275 with 18 RBIs. Rileigh Walters batted .289, with 22 RBI, 2 HR, 5 doubles and one triple for ACCS.

Cathedral — Allie Feltus had a .400 bating average, with one home run, one triple, 7 doubles, 8 RBIs and a .804 fielding percentage for Cathedral.

Lauren Dunbar had a .340 batting average with 2 home runs, six doubles, 12 RBIs for Cathedral.

Natchez High — Jaidyn Flowers was the only senior for Natchez. She batted .571 in her senior season. Asyia Pollard led Natchez with a batting average of .759 in seven games.

Vidalia — Allie Leblanc led Vidalia on the mound and batted .453. Kiersten Grove was Vidalia’s catcher and she had a .383 batting average.

Delta Charter — Tiara Jefferson batted .316 and drove in 11 RBIs for Delta Charter. She had 17 stolen basses.

Monterey — Briana King had a batting average of .328 for Monterey. Allie Lipsey had a .426 batting average for Monterey.