A state championship season usually takes experience, leadership and years of development.
For Pahrump Valley High School freshman Jaycie Hayes, it took all of those things — just much earlier than expected.
In her first varsity season, Hayes became one of the most dominant players in Nevada Class 3A softball and helped guide the Trojans to the program’s state championship victory on May 16, finishing a season that blended overpowering pitching, consistent offense and a level of composure rarely seen from a freshman.
The numbers tell part of the story.
Inside the circle, Hayes appeared in 32 games and started 24 of them while throwing an incredible 170.2 innings. She finished the year with a 21-7 record and a microscopic 1.52 ERA while striking out 298 batters — averaging nearly 1.75 strikeouts per inning.
Opponents hit just .172 against her all season.
She allowed only 118 hits across nearly 3,000 pitches thrown and issued just 45 walks while recording 23 complete games, 10 shutouts, four no-hitters and one perfect game.
The strikeout total separated her even further.
Hayes finished more than 100 strikeouts ahead of the next closest pitcher in the classification.
But her impact didn’t stop in the circle.
At the plate, Hayes became one of the Trojans’ most productive hitters, batting .462 across 41 games. She recorded 60 hits in 130 at-bats while scoring 44 runs and driving in 54 more.
She added 17 doubles, three triples and a home run while finishing with a .520 on-base percentage, .662 slugging percentage and a 1.182 in on-base plus slugging.
She also created pressure on the bases with 13 stolen bases.
For Hayes, though, none of that was something she expected when she first started playing.
She laughed remembering how softball almost never happened at all.
She began in t-ball and coach pitch and during the COVID years was given a choice by her parents: continue another season of coach pitch baseball or move into softball.
Her answer depended on what one of her friends was doing.
“My parents asked me if I wanted to play another year of coach pitch or start playing softball,” Hayes said. “I asked, ‘What is Olivia (Veloz) doing?’ They said she was playing softball and I said, ‘Okay, I’ll play softball.’”
That first season didn’t immediately create a love for the game.
She and her friend were young and didn’t play much.
Then COVID shifted everything.
Her father helped create the Girls of Troy program so local girls could continue competing while organized opportunities were limited. Through rec leagues in Las Vegas and countless hours of repetition, Hayes started developing.
Pitching happened because somebody had to do it.
“Nobody could really throw strikes, so I became one of the pitchers,” she said.
Eventually, she became much more than that.
Although Hayes originally wanted to be a catcher, her consistency inside the circle started opening doors.
She earned opportunities through All-Stars and eventually joined club softball entering seventh grade, beginning a journey that included Blast 2012, Lil Rebels RC Rome and eventually returning to Blast 2011, where she currently competes.
The growth didn’t happen by accident.
Hayes remembers staying after school while her dad worked as a PE teacher and spending extra time on throwing drills.
“He would make me do pitching drills because we needed a pitcher,” Hayes said. “That’s basically how I became a pitcher.”
Those repetitions built the foundation for the season she eventually produced.
Hayes also credits her current pitching instructor, Shelbi Denman at Dani Spaulding Pitching Academy, for helping refine her movement and improve pitch development.
She says many of the spins and adjustments she now uses came from those sessions.
Coming into high school, though, individual success wasn’t the focus.
Winning was.
The Trojans had already established the goal.
“I think we always had that goal of winning the state championship,” Hayes said. “Especially when we got Lauver back. That was his whole goal.”
That standard shaped months of preparation.
The team had been working since October as a high school club team, and Hayes said everyone believed the result was possible long before the postseason arrived.
“We worked hard” she said. “Everyone believed we could do it and we did it.”
And now the expectations are not changing.
With most of the roster returning — including a young infield core — Hayes hopes the Trojans can make another championship run.
“The goal is the same,” she said.
Even after a season that included nearly 300 strikeouts and a championship trophy, Hayes is hesitant to put numbers on next year.
She isn’t chasing statistics.
She is chasing improvement.
“I’m just going to play like I did last season and try to get better,” she said.
Hayes also made sure to recognize the people behind the scenes.
She thanked her parents for every lesson, practice and sacrifice that made her growth possible.
She specifically mentioned her dad for spending countless hours catching bullpen sessions and helping her work through every outing.
She also wanted special recognition given to her brothers, Kannen and Hudson.
Hayes said they give up a lot to support her softball career — sometimes missing their own sports and even occasionally missing school so they can travel and be there for her. Their willingness to support her means more than she can fully express.
She also thanked her teammates, Coach Rich Lauver, her club coaches and specifically Kristy Odamura, someone she said she looks up to.
For younger pitchers hoping to follow a similar path, Hayes keeps her advice simple.
“Find some drills and stick to them,” she said. “That’s literally what I did.”
And through every inning, strikeout and championship moment, Hayes said she wants one thing remembered above all else:
“All glory goes to God.”
