2021 Softball Roster
Kearney, Jayda
Jersey Number 8
Jayda Kearney
- Position:
- Outfield
- Height:
- 5-11
- Class:
- Freshman
- High School:
- Donovan Catholic HS
- Hometown:
- Columbus, N.J.
- Shop:
- R/R
Bio
Career Honors and Awards
2023 NFCA First Team All-America… 2023 D1 Softball Second Team All-America… 2023 Softball America Second Team All-America… 2023 NFCA First Team All-Southeast Region… 2023 First Team All-SEC… 2022 NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team… 2022 All-SEC Team… NFCA National Player of the Week (3/7/22)… SEC Player of the Week (3/7/22, 5/10/22, 3/28/23)… 2021 SEC All-Freshman Team…2023 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll… 2022 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll.
2024 // Senior
Named Preseason All-SEC… Named to the Top 50 Watch List for 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award… Named to Preseason All-America Team by D1Softball and Softball America… Ranked #14 on D1Softball's Top 100 Players and #21 on Softball America's Top 100 Players… Ranked #3 by D1Softball and #5 by Softball America among outfielders… Recipient of the The Jimmy and Barbara Turner Softball Scholarship.
Summer 2023 // USA Softball
Competed with the USA Softball Women's National Team in the 2023 Japan All-Star Series… Hit .222 (2-for-9) with a home run, two RBI, and scored twice.
2023 // Junior
Named NFCA First Team All-America… Named D1Softball Second Team All-America… Named Softball America Second Team All-America… Named First Team NFCA All-Southeast Region… Named First Team All-SEC… Started all 57 games, 50 of which started in right field… Hit .365 with 58 hits with eight doubles, two triples, and a team-best 19 home runs… Drove in 46 runs and scored a team-best 47… Led the team with a .799 slugging and .477 on-base percentages… 19 home runs finished seventh nationally and third in the SEC… Finished top 10 in the SEC in home runs, home runs per game, on base percentage, runs per game, slugging, and total bases… Led the team with a .353 SEC average, 24 hits, 18 RBI, 13 walks, .765 slugging and .464 on base percentages… Blasted eight home runs against SEC opponents… Recorded 12 multi-hit games and 12 multi-RBI games… Became the first Bulldog to knock three home runs in a game (vs. Ohio State, 2/10) since Alyssa DiCarlo in 2018; she drove in six runs in that game on four hits… Blasted a grand slam against Boise State (2/12)… Hit .462 on opening weekend with four home runs, 10 RBI, and slugged 1.385 with a .611 on-base clip… Hit a game-ending three-run home run to run rule Samford (3/4), concluding a no-hitter for Shelby Walters… Walked off No. 18 Auburn in the series finale with a 10th-inning solo home run to centerfield… Named SEC Player of the Week on March 28 after hitting .571, going 4-for-7; three of her four hits left the yard including homering twice in game two against Mississippi State… In that game, her two two-run home runs were responsible for four of Georgia's 10 runs in the game… She recorded a 1.857 slugging percentage, drove in six runs, and concluded the week with a .667 on-base clip with a pair of walks… Down 3-1 in the seventh inning of game one at No. 8 Arkansas (4/6), Kearney blasted a two-out, three-run home run to right, lifting Georgia to a 4-3 victory… Softball America Preseason All-America… USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List… Ranked 43rd on Softball America’s Preseason Top 100… Named to the Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll.
2022 // Sophomore
Named NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team and All-SEC First Team… Made 58 starts (all in centerfield) in 60 total appearances… Hit .364 while scattering 60 hits on the season… 24 hits went for extra bases including seven doubles, two triples, and 15 home runs… 15 home runs ranked 11th in the SEC… Led the Bulldogs with 56 RBI… Scored 42 times… Concluded the season with 17 multi-hit games and 16 multi-RBI games… Strung together a 15-game on base streak… Named SEC and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week on March 7 after hitting .727 in five games of the Bulldog Classic (8-for-11)… Slugged 2.000 knocking four home runs and a triple, recording 22 total bases… She drove in 12 runs and scored six times that weekend… Tabbed the final SEC Player of the Week for the 2022 season on May 10 after leading the Bulldog offense against Ole Miss, hitting .778 (7-for-9), slugging 1.778 with a .818 on-base clip and knocking three home runs and driving in 11 runs… Set a career high with seven RBI against Ole Miss (5/7)… Hit Georgia's 98th, 99th, and program record-breaking 100th home run, a grand slam… Was Georgia's top run producer in Conference action, driving in 24 runs with eight home runs against SEC opponents… Six times she drove in multiple RBI including four-plus twice… She joined Sara Mosley with six multi-hit SEC games… Scattered five hits with a triple and two RBI in the NCAA Regional… Ranked 98th on D1 Softball’s 150 Top Players of 2022… Named to the Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll.
2021 // Freshman
Started 49 games of 50 appeared in as a true freshman… Started 35 games in center and 14 in right… Earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team… Concluded the season hitting .273 with 38 hits including four doubles, two triples, and six home runs… Drove in 25 runs… Stole a team-best seven bases… Was Georgia's top hitter in SEC play, hitting .286 against league opponents… Finished the season with seven multi-hit games and six multi-RBI performances… Strung together a 15-game on-base streak, second-longest on the team… Had a three-hit day against Alabama State (3/3)… Was named SEC Freshman of the Week on March 20 following a 4-for-8 series against #16 Missouri when she hit her first career home runs and added a two-RBI double in game two of the series… In Sunday's game against Missouri, her RBI single sparked a six-run comeback inning in the third… Drove in a season-best three runs on two hits with a ninth-inning, two-run home run to put Georgia ahead in the series finale at #17 Tennessee (4/25)… Drove in the first run of the game in the NCAA Regional final against #13 Duke (5/23)… Was one of three Bulldogs to homer in the second game of the Super Regional at #4 Florida (5/29)… Had a hit against Oklahoma State in the WCWS (6/3).
High School
Played for Donovan Catholic High School in New Jersey… She was a four-year letterwinner for the Griffins… Through three seasons, she was a three-time high school all-American, all-state, all-region, and all-conference honoree… From freshman to junior year, she guided Donovan to a record of 85-4 and two state titles… She hit .596 as a sophomore with 12 home runs and 45 RBI then hit .480 with 41 RBI and 17 stolen bases as a junior… In her three seasons of prep, she stole 32 bases, hit .626 with 133 hits, 112 RBI, and a .948 fielding percentage in the outfield… She played club for Jersey Intensity… The Intensity placed fifth in PGF Nationals twice… Kearney also played forward for three years on the basketball team along with being an honor roll student… Ranked t-13th on Extra Innings’ Elite 100 list and the number two outfield recruit.
Personal
Daughter of Nicole and Jay Kearney… Her father Jay played football at West Virginia and played professionally for the Steelers and Packers… Born Aug. 1, 2002… Majoring in Communication Studies.
2023 NFCA First Team All-America… 2023 D1 Softball Second Team All-America… 2023 Softball America Second Team All-America… 2023 NFCA First Team All-Southeast Region… 2023 First Team All-SEC… 2022 NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team… 2022 All-SEC Team… NFCA National Player of the Week (3/7/22)… SEC Player of the Week (3/7/22, 5/10/22, 3/28/23)… 2021 SEC All-Freshman Team…2023 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll… 2022 Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll.
2024 // Senior
Named Preseason All-SEC… Named to the Top 50 Watch List for 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award… Named to Preseason All-America Team by D1Softball and Softball America… Ranked #14 on D1Softball's Top 100 Players and #21 on Softball America's Top 100 Players… Ranked #3 by D1Softball and #5 by Softball America among outfielders… Recipient of the The Jimmy and Barbara Turner Softball Scholarship.
Summer 2023 // USA Softball
Competed with the USA Softball Women's National Team in the 2023 Japan All-Star Series… Hit .222 (2-for-9) with a home run, two RBI, and scored twice.
2023 // Junior
Named NFCA First Team All-America… Named D1Softball Second Team All-America… Named Softball America Second Team All-America… Named First Team NFCA All-Southeast Region… Named First Team All-SEC… Started all 57 games, 50 of which started in right field… Hit .365 with 58 hits with eight doubles, two triples, and a team-best 19 home runs… Drove in 46 runs and scored a team-best 47… Led the team with a .799 slugging and .477 on-base percentages… 19 home runs finished seventh nationally and third in the SEC… Finished top 10 in the SEC in home runs, home runs per game, on base percentage, runs per game, slugging, and total bases… Led the team with a .353 SEC average, 24 hits, 18 RBI, 13 walks, .765 slugging and .464 on base percentages… Blasted eight home runs against SEC opponents… Recorded 12 multi-hit games and 12 multi-RBI games… Became the first Bulldog to knock three home runs in a game (vs. Ohio State, 2/10) since Alyssa DiCarlo in 2018; she drove in six runs in that game on four hits… Blasted a grand slam against Boise State (2/12)… Hit .462 on opening weekend with four home runs, 10 RBI, and slugged 1.385 with a .611 on-base clip… Hit a game-ending three-run home run to run rule Samford (3/4), concluding a no-hitter for Shelby Walters… Walked off No. 18 Auburn in the series finale with a 10th-inning solo home run to centerfield… Named SEC Player of the Week on March 28 after hitting .571, going 4-for-7; three of her four hits left the yard including homering twice in game two against Mississippi State… In that game, her two two-run home runs were responsible for four of Georgia's 10 runs in the game… She recorded a 1.857 slugging percentage, drove in six runs, and concluded the week with a .667 on-base clip with a pair of walks… Down 3-1 in the seventh inning of game one at No. 8 Arkansas (4/6), Kearney blasted a two-out, three-run home run to right, lifting Georgia to a 4-3 victory… Softball America Preseason All-America… USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List… Ranked 43rd on Softball America’s Preseason Top 100… Named to the Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll.
2022 // Sophomore
Named NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team and All-SEC First Team… Made 58 starts (all in centerfield) in 60 total appearances… Hit .364 while scattering 60 hits on the season… 24 hits went for extra bases including seven doubles, two triples, and 15 home runs… 15 home runs ranked 11th in the SEC… Led the Bulldogs with 56 RBI… Scored 42 times… Concluded the season with 17 multi-hit games and 16 multi-RBI games… Strung together a 15-game on base streak… Named SEC and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week on March 7 after hitting .727 in five games of the Bulldog Classic (8-for-11)… Slugged 2.000 knocking four home runs and a triple, recording 22 total bases… She drove in 12 runs and scored six times that weekend… Tabbed the final SEC Player of the Week for the 2022 season on May 10 after leading the Bulldog offense against Ole Miss, hitting .778 (7-for-9), slugging 1.778 with a .818 on-base clip and knocking three home runs and driving in 11 runs… Set a career high with seven RBI against Ole Miss (5/7)… Hit Georgia's 98th, 99th, and program record-breaking 100th home run, a grand slam… Was Georgia's top run producer in Conference action, driving in 24 runs with eight home runs against SEC opponents… Six times she drove in multiple RBI including four-plus twice… She joined Sara Mosley with six multi-hit SEC games… Scattered five hits with a triple and two RBI in the NCAA Regional… Ranked 98th on D1 Softball’s 150 Top Players of 2022… Named to the Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll.
2021 // Freshman
Started 49 games of 50 appeared in as a true freshman… Started 35 games in center and 14 in right… Earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team… Concluded the season hitting .273 with 38 hits including four doubles, two triples, and six home runs… Drove in 25 runs… Stole a team-best seven bases… Was Georgia's top hitter in SEC play, hitting .286 against league opponents… Finished the season with seven multi-hit games and six multi-RBI performances… Strung together a 15-game on-base streak, second-longest on the team… Had a three-hit day against Alabama State (3/3)… Was named SEC Freshman of the Week on March 20 following a 4-for-8 series against #16 Missouri when she hit her first career home runs and added a two-RBI double in game two of the series… In Sunday's game against Missouri, her RBI single sparked a six-run comeback inning in the third… Drove in a season-best three runs on two hits with a ninth-inning, two-run home run to put Georgia ahead in the series finale at #17 Tennessee (4/25)… Drove in the first run of the game in the NCAA Regional final against #13 Duke (5/23)… Was one of three Bulldogs to homer in the second game of the Super Regional at #4 Florida (5/29)… Had a hit against Oklahoma State in the WCWS (6/3).
High School
Played for Donovan Catholic High School in New Jersey… She was a four-year letterwinner for the Griffins… Through three seasons, she was a three-time high school all-American, all-state, all-region, and all-conference honoree… From freshman to junior year, she guided Donovan to a record of 85-4 and two state titles… She hit .596 as a sophomore with 12 home runs and 45 RBI then hit .480 with 41 RBI and 17 stolen bases as a junior… In her three seasons of prep, she stole 32 bases, hit .626 with 133 hits, 112 RBI, and a .948 fielding percentage in the outfield… She played club for Jersey Intensity… The Intensity placed fifth in PGF Nationals twice… Kearney also played forward for three years on the basketball team along with being an honor roll student… Ranked t-13th on Extra Innings’ Elite 100 list and the number two outfield recruit.
Personal
Daughter of Nicole and Jay Kearney… Her father Jay played football at West Virginia and played professionally for the Steelers and Packers… Born Aug. 1, 2002… Majoring in Communication Studies.
Georgia Softball vs Florida NCAA Super Regional Game 3 Postgame Press Conference
Monday, May 26
Georgia Softball vs Florida NCAA Super Regional Game 2 Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, May 24
Georgia Softball vs Florida NCAA Super Regional Game 2 TV Highlights
Saturday, May 24
Georgia Softball vs Florida NCAA Super Regional Postgame Press Conference
Friday, May 23
