The Class of 2028 is loaded with great athletes and one of the very best to watch in the upcoming years is Jayde Palmer, the infielder from Avon, Ohio who plays for the Hotshots National 09 team led by Coach Nathan Nelson.

*** Be sure to check out our 2028 Line Drive HOT 100 Player Rankings starting this Monday!***

Last year playing at the 16U and 14U levels, Jayde batted .448 with a .511 on-base percentage, a 1.24 OPS and had a .955 fielding percentage.

Athletic testing-wise, she has recorded a 65 mph overhand, a 68 mph exit velocity and has recorded a home to first time of 2.85 seconds.

Not surprisingly, she’s well-known to those in the softball world, as her honors are already impressive:

• USA Softball HPP Invite (2024)
• Two-time USA Softball All-American at 12U
• USSSA All American Direct Select
• USSSA Select 30

And you can be sure top college programs are already watching closely as Jayde has previously attended top invite camps such like the Oklahoma Elite 40 and the Texas A&M Elite 40 camps, along with others held at top schools such as Florida, UCLA, and LSU.

Looking ahead, Jayde has also been invited to prospect camps at schools like Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina State, and Oklahoma State.

The eighth grader also excels in the classroom with a 4.0 average and hasn’t even had a “B” in her young academic career.

Jayde is a multi-sport athlete and also plays up in 16U AAU basketball out of Northeast Ohio and starts on her middle school volleyball and basketball teams. In hoops, she has led her Avon Middle School basketball team to back-to-back undefeated championship seasons.

You don’t have to look long and hard to see where the Midwest standout’s athleticism comes from… her father, Joey, is coach in the Hotshots organization, her mother, Melissa, played college basketball, her older sister, Justice, played for Ohio University and her older brother, Jace, is a junior quarterback at Lutheran West High School in Cleveland, Ohio and is getting growing recruiting attention.

With the skills to excel in three sports, Jayde certainly excels on the diamond thanks to her 5-foot-11 frame and unique set of athletic skills she brings to the game.

What’s scary for the opposing teams and players she’ll face in the upcoming years is how her father believes she’s not even peaked yet physically.

“Jayde is maturing physically and is becoming a true 5-tool player at the highest levels of travel softball,” he says.
“She’s a tall, long and athletic shortstop who brings a rare combination of size, speed, and skill to the softball field, making hera valuable asset to any team.”

Check out this clip of the young hitter in the cages last Fall:

And he’s not the only one who’s high on the Ohio player’s stock; Terry Seneca, the Hotshots Player Development Director, sees her shining in every aspect of the sport.

“Jayde is a very versatile athlete who has the ability to play multiple positions,” Seneca explains.

“She is coming into her own as a middle infielder with exceptional hands and range. Physically, Jayde brings a natural presence to the field and has plenty of range and power at the plate. She is still growing which means she has a high softball ceiling and also has a high softball IQ and is a natural leader.”

Offensively, the middle schooler is starting to emerge with plenty of power at the plate and is a proven gap to gap hitter. Scouts also love her plus arm and ability to throw at multiple angles from her shortstop position.

Her father, naturally, is proud of Jayde’s success in sports, but also loves how she carries herself in the classroom and at home.

“For me, on the field, I’m proud of how much she loves the game, how hard she competes for her teammates, and how much she appreciates and respects all the trainers and coaches that put so much into her development,” Coach Palmer adds.

“Off the field, I’m so impressed with how hard she works towards her academics and how committed she is towards her most important roles in life which are being a great daughter and sister.”

A probable Power 5 middle infielder, Jayde is excited about her future in the game she’s so good at already.

“I love the unity and teamwork in softball,” she begins. “It’s an amazing feeling to be part of a team like our Hotshots National 09 Nelson team where everyone supports and loves each other. I also love the challenge and strategy involved in the game.”

And what is she looking forward to most this summer?

“I just love to compete,” the Midwest talent says. “I can’t wait to be on the field competing with my teammates and finding ways to win together.”

“I’m blessed to be on a team where every girl could be the star on another team, but we all choose to play together and it’s so much fun!  Also, I can’t wait to get pushed by our great coaches in the Hotshots Organization, like Nathan Nelson, Terry Seneca, Guy Knight, etc.”

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball