Jayda Kearney, a junior outfielder for the Georgia softball team, had a spectacular 2022 season. When she came to the University of Georgia in 2020, she had a fairly abnormal freshman campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Kearney persevered, which led to her flourishing as an athlete and teammate during her sophomore year. 

​

The 2022 season was bound to differ from other seasons considering the installation of a new coaching staff for the Bulldogs’ softball team. Head coach Tony Baldwin, J.T. D’Amico, Chelsea Wilkinson and Alyssa DiCarlo joined the coaching staff during Kearney’s sophomore season. 

​

Kearney’s exceptional sophomore year was evidenced by the fact that she was named to NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team and the All-SEC First team, hit 15 home runs that ranked her 11th in the entire SEC, led the Bulldogs with 56 RBIs, was named SEC and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week and hit .727 in five games of the Bulldog Classic.

 

Baldwin described Kearney as “immensely talented” with her combination of speed, power and physicality. She evolved not only as a great athlete but also as a person.

​

“But the other thing that we all love about her is just her personality and general demeanor that she brings to the team every day,” Baldwin said.

​

Kearney had the opportunity to focus on the mental state of her game this past season, a goal she set for herself since she first arrived at UGA. The Bulldog Classic was the first time she recalled feeling relaxed during games. 

Baldwin reflected on how he has seen Kearney evolve.

​

“To see her become more resilient, to just continue to believe that she can get it and then fight for it,” Baldwin said. “I think that’s the biggest difference in who she is today as a player versus when she got here. She has a lot more belief in herself of what she can do and [I] look forward to her continuing to just grow that this year.”

​

Kearney strives to not focus on RBIs, batting averages and ratings, and instead allows herself to do what she knows she is capable of: letting the “athletic ability take care of itself.” When going up to bat, she aims to remain calm by taking a few deep breaths. Before games, she practices talking positively to herself so she can go into the game with “as much confidence as possible.”

​

“I feel like being able to focus a lot more on mental stability throughout the season definitely helped me push my game to the next level,” Kearney said. 

​

Kearney was ranked 98th on D1 Softball’s 150 top players of 2022. She has advanced into her junior season with much experience and growth in light of her success. That experience has allowed Kearney to get off to a hot start.

​

At the UCF Black and Gold Tournament on Feb. 10, 2023, Kearney became the first Bulldog since 2018 to launch three home runs in a game. She had the first home run of the season in the game vs. Ohio State, finishing with three. She then followed that up with a pair of four-RBI performances against Boise State and St. John’s. 

​

Her bat was tremendous early in the season — of players who had played in at least 75% of Georgia’s games, Kearney led the team in batting average through the first 11 games of the year.

​

“What’s been fun as a coach is just to watch her kind of come into her own and feel comfortable in her own skin and you know, that’s a challenge for anybody,” Baldwin said. “Just watching her go through the process of becoming the young woman that she is now has been a lot of fun to watch.”