Follow the Reed-er

On and off the softball field, Jazmin Reed has always looked up to her older sister Courtney.

The Yuma High junior shortstop grew up watching Courtney become one of the top hitters in Yuma County, and even played alongside her one year when she was a freshman.

The success her big sister had on the softball field, Jazmin said, gave her motivation.

"That made me want to be better than my sister," she said and laughed. "I'm getting there. She was my biggest role model - her and my dad."

Jazmin is well on her way to carrying on the family legacy at Yuma High.

She batted .485 overall with 18 extra-base hits, a home run, 24 RBI, 15 stolen bases and only struck out five times in 99 at-bats this year, and she helped the Criminals reach the state playoffs for the first time since 2003 when Courtney was a freshman.

And now she can claim something her older sister can't: The Sun/Yuma Rotary Club's Softball Player of the Year honor.

"I was a little jealous," said Courtney, who just finished playing her last season at Arizona Western College. "My junior and senior years I was like, 'I might have a chance at this,' but then Alyssa Rhodes got it right there."

Courtney said the two are extremely close, but were competitive with each other on the softball field.

The one season the two sisters played together they had a home-run contest, which Jazmin said she won 3-2.

"We used to be real competitive," Courtney said. "Now that I'm older and finishing up with my softball, it's about helping her get to where she needs to be."

The superlative that often comes up when describing Jazmin's ability is "natural." She can swing away from both sides of the plate and play any position on the field.

"It just comes natural," Jazmin said of her versatility. "If you put me in a situation I will step up and do it."

Yuma High coach Liz Huyck said Jazmin has such a high softball IQ as a result of coming from a softball family and being around the game her whole life.

"A game that's a challenge to some people she makes it look simple," Huyck said. "Her swing is so natural. It seems like it's just almost perfect. Even defensively she gets to balls you think are going to be hits."

Statistics tell the story of Jazmin's great season, but perhaps the most telling sign of her prowess at the plate and the respect opponents have of her abilities came when she didn't even have to lift the bat off her shoulder.

With games on the line against rival Cibola, she was intentionally walked on two occasions to load the bases.

"They weren't going to let her be the one to come up with the winning hit, and I think that says something in itself," Huyck said. "When you have a player with Jazmin's potential (opponents) don't want to let her get in a spot where she can win the game."

Jazmin said her goal is to play at Arizona State or UA, but Huyck said she is glad to have the opportunity to coach her one more year at Yuma.

"She's always working to improve her game," Huyck said. "Her dream is to play at the next level and she absolutely has the talent to do that."

2008 THE SUN/YUMA ROTARY CLUB ALL-REGION SOFTBALL TEAM

P- Ariel Olea, Cibola
P – Taylor Mixon, Yuma Catholic
P – Sarah Ray, Cibola
C – Alyssa Olea, Cibola
1B – Jessy Aguirre, Yuma High
2B – Madison Tracy, Kofa
SS - Jazmin Reed, Yuma High (Player of the Year)
3B – Myliah Ramirez, Cibola
OF – Frankie Bustos, Kofa
OF – Jackie Newbourn, Cibola
OF – Kacy Boyd, Cibola
DH – Malina Montenegro, Yuma High
Util. – Yolanda Esparza, Yuma Catholic