Michigan State-bound softball star Jaeya Butler slugs with power, style for Aquinas
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Jaeya Butler smooths out the dirt by home plate with her cleat and then peers at the pitcher. She crouches slightly. No practice swings.
The pitch comes and … pow! She hits a long, towering drive over the left-field fence that lands in the Aquinas High beach volleyball courts. Butler runs the bases, then receives pats on her helmet from her teammates.
“It feels good,” Butler says later. “I can always feel when it’s going over the fence. It’s just a different kind of feeling than a regular hit. It’s like I hit it right on sweet spot.”
Jaeya Butler smashes one of her 12 home runs on the season. Photo: John Murphy
Later, she clobbers her second home run of the inning. It is a two-run shot that is snared with one hand by a volleyball player. Unfortunately for visiting Arrowhead Christian Academy of Redlands, it does not count as an out. Aquinas scores 11 first-inning runs en route to a 15-1 victory.
“Jaeya has such a good idea of the strike zone,” Aquinas coach Chris Ybarra says. “She’s patient and hits the ball wherever it’s pitched. She works hard and so when her confidence is strong and she stays disciplined, she’s a tough out.”
Jaeya also hit home runs the next two days in games against ACA and Woodcrest Christian of Riverside, respectively. She is hitting .667 with 12 home runs and 58 runs batted in for the 22-2 Falcons (8-0 in the Ambassador League). She ranks second in the state in RBI and tied for third in homers.
The designated player/infielder has 37 home runs for her career, 10 more than previous Aquinas career leader Danielle Vega (27).
“I’ve been working for it (the record) for the last year, so it means the world to me to break it,” Butler says.
Butler celebrates with her friends and teammates. Photo: John Murphy.
ROCK STAR
Butler’s quiet approach in the batter’s box is the opposite of her colorful style sense.
Necklaces dangling, nose ring visible, red hair blossoming out of her softball visor, the Falcon star is no shrinking violet.
“She’s a rock star,” Jaeya’s mother, Francheska, says. “We go along with it and let her do her thing and be who she wants to be. She expresses herself freely.”
Says Jaeya, “My sense of style is whatever I’m feeling at the moment. Sometimes I can be very girly, and I can also dress like a tom girl. I feel like I pull off both pretty well."
Her father, Hollis, does not hesitate when asked for a funny Jaeya story.
“The first time she went fishing, she fell in the lake before we even started,” Hollis says. “It was at Lake Hesperia.”
Back at home, it’s like Brian Wilson had Jaeya Butler in mind when he wrote that old Beach Boys’ standard, “In My Room.”
The Falcon star dims the lights, fires up her LEDs, and turns on “The Vampire Diaries” or “Breaking Bad” and has a ball.
“She’s comfortable in her own skin,” Francheska says. “She doesn’t mind being alone.”
Jaeya Butler is the queen of bling around Aquinas High School. Photo: John Murphy
ONWARD, UPWARD
The power hitter’s me-time will be trimmed slightly next season. She signed with Michigan State in November and will head to East Lansing in the fall.
First Jaeya will look to add to that home run total and accomplish some team goals. Aquinas is shooting for a 14th league title since 1983, a second section championship, and a second state title.
“I just love softball,” she says. “The goal has always been to play in college and now that I’m doing that, I just love being around my teammates and want to help us win.”
John Murphy is the sports editor of Century Group Media of Southern California and is an SBLiveCA contributor. Twitter: @PrepDawg2.
All photos below by John Murphy
