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Janae Jefferson
Texas Smoke
Infielder
Born: (1999-02-03) February 3, 1999 (age 25)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Women's softball
Representing the  United States
World Cup
Silver medal – second place 2024 Castions di Strada Team
World Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Birmingham Team
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Santiago Team

Janae Reann Jefferson (born February 3, 1999) is an American professional softball player for the Texas Smoke of the Women's Professional Fastpitch and a member of the United States women's national softball team. She played college softball at Texas where she holds several program records.

High school career

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Jefferson attended Nimitz High School in Houston, Texas, where she was a three-sport athlete, playing softball, volleyball and basketball. During her first year in 2013, she hit .617 overall with 16 doubles, 11 triples, 16 stolen bases and 27 run batted in (RBI)s. During her second year in 2014, she hit .727, with 74 hits, 18 doubles, 13 triples, four home runs, 21 stolen bases and 37 RBIs. Her .727 batting average and 74 hits where the highest in her school's history. During her junior year in 2015, she hit .687, with 70 hits, 21 doubles, 15 triples, 31 RBIs and 18 steals. During her senior year in 2016, she recorded 14 doubles, 14 triples, six home runs, 21 steals and 48 runs scored. She finished her career as the school's all-time leader in stolen bases.[1]

In basketball, she was named a first-team All-District 18-6A honoree in 2015, and 16-6A Girls All-District Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2016–17.[1]

College career

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Jefferson made her collegiate debut for Texas on February 9, 2018, in a game against UIW. During her first year in 2018, she led the Longhorns in batting average (.392), hits (74), multi-hit games (23), runs (30), total bases (87), on-base percentage (.463) and steals (11). Her 32 hits during the Big 12 conference play were the most by any Longhorns player in program history and the second most by a player in a single-season in conference history. Her 72 hits were the second-most all-time in a single season in program history, trailing only Lindsay Gardner's 83 hits in 2000. Following the season she was named to the first-team All-Big 12 and Big 12 All-Freshman team. She was also named a top-ten finalist for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year and named a second-team NFCA All-American. She became the fourth Texas freshman to earn NFCA All-American honors in program history.[2]

During her second year in 2019, she led the Longhorns in batting average (.408), hits (80), multi-hit games (25), and runs (39), and ranked second in on-base percentage (.438) and stolen bases (10). Her 80 hits were the second-most hits in a single season in program history. Following the season she was named to the first-team All-Big 12 and named a second-team NFCA All-American. She was also named a Softball America first-team All-American.[3]

During the 2020 season, she Started all 27 games while batting .554 overall to rank third in the f NCAA Division I and first in the Big 12 Conference, and ranked tied for fourth in NCAA Division I and led the Big 12 in total hits (41), in a season that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Following the season she was named a Softball America second-team All-American.[4]

During her junior year in 2021, she started all 51 games and led the Longhorns in batting average (.446) hits (75), multi-hit games (25), on-base percentage (.495) and steals (14) and second in the league in runs scored (49) and third in total bases (100). She Reached base safely in 47-of-51 games played. On May 9, 2021, in a game against Baylor she recorded her 255th career hit, setting a new Texas program record for career hits, surpassing the previous record held by Brejae Washington.[5] Following the season she was named a unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection, and named a third-team NFCA All-American.[6]

During her senior year in 2022, she ranked second in the NCAA Division I in hits (92), and fourth in doubles (24). She also ranked second in the Big 12 in batting average (.431), third in runs scored (70), fourth in steals (16) and total bases (131) and fifth in on-base percentage (.502) during the regular season. She led Texas with a career-best 29 multi-hit games. On April 24, 2022, in a game against Oklahoma State, Jefferson recorded her 333rd career hit, breaking the Big 12 Conference recorded for career hits, surpassing the previous record held by Sami Williams of Iowa State.[7] She helped Texas advance to the Women's College World Series for the first time since 2013, where they finished as 2022 Women's College World Series runner-up to champions Oklahoma.[8] Following the season she was named a unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection, and named a second-team NFCA All-American. She became the second Texas player in history to be selected as a four-time NFCA All-American, following Cat Osterman.[9]

She finished her career at Texas as the program's record holder in batting average (.424), games started (269), runs (222), hits (362) and doubles (55).[10][11]

Professional career

[edit]

Jefferson was the drafted fourth overall during the 2022 Athletes Unlimited Softball College Draft and made her professional debut on July 29, 2022.[12][13]

During the 2023 Women's Professional Fastpitch season in her first season with the Texas Smoke, she hit .438, with a .523 slugging percentage and a .580 on-base percentage, and helped lead the Smoke to the WPF playoffs in the team's first season.[14] She was subsequently named the WPF Player of the Year and named to the All-WPF Team.[15][16] During the playoffs, she hit .500, with nine hits, six runs scored, a home run and a stolen base. During game one of the championship series she went 4-for-4, with a home run, two singles and a double.[17] She helped the Smoke win the inaugural WPF championship, and was named the Championship Series MVP.[10][18]

National team career

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On January 7, 2022, she was named a member of the United States women's national softball team for the 2022 World Games.[19][20] In the gold medal game against Japan, with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the second inning, Jefferson hit a bases-clearing double to left-center field to give USA a three-run lead, and help USA win a gold medal.[21] She finished the tournament with a .333 batting average (3-for-9) with four runs batted in and three runs scored in five games.[22]

On August 31, 2023, she was named to the U.S. women's national team for the 2023 Pan American Games.[23]

Jefferson represented the United States at the 2024 Women's Softball World Cup and won a silver medal.[24]

Personal life

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Jefferson was born to Vincent and Catherine Jefferson. She is the cousin of former professional baseball pitcher Mike Jackson.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Janae Jefferson". texassports.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  2. ^ "Softball's Jefferson named NFCA Second Team All-American". texassports.com. May 30, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  3. ^ "No. 9 Softball's Jefferson & Elish named 2019 NFCA All-Americans". texassports.com. May 29, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  4. ^ "Softball America Announced Shortened Season Awards". big12sports.com. April 8, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  5. ^ Davis, Danny (May 13, 2021). "Texas' hit queen: Now softball royalty, can Janae Jefferson guide Horns to Big 12 Tournament title?". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  6. ^ "No. 11/13 Softball's Jefferson named 2021 NFCA All-American". texassports.com. June 2, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  7. ^ "No. 16 Softball swept in Sunday doubleheader at No. 6/7 Oklahoma State". texassports.com. April 24, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  8. ^ "No. 16/18 Softball's incredible run ends with loss to No. 1 Oklahoma". texassports.com. June 9, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  9. ^ "No. 16/18 Softball's Jefferson & Dolcini named NFCA All-Americans". texassports.com. June 1, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Kaelble, Owen (August 31, 2023). "Janae Jefferson Felt Right At Home With WPF's Texas Smoke". softballamerica.com. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  11. ^ Rossow, Adam (June 20, 2023). "Familiar face: Former Texas star is the leader of a new women's pro softball team". spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  12. ^ "No. 17/14 Softball's Jefferson & Iakopo selected in Athletes Unlimited Draft". texassports.com. May 4, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  13. ^ Licata, Alexandra (May 31, 2023). "Watch Going Pro: Janae Jefferson". auprosports.com. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  14. ^ Garcia, Tori (June 18, 2023). "Former Longhorn second basemen Janae Jefferson returns to Austin for pro softball journey". The Daily Texan. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  15. ^ Yum, Caleb (August 10, 2023). "Former Texas IF Janae Jefferson wins Player of the Year in first year with Smoke". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  16. ^ "RECAP: 2023 WPF Awards Night". wprofastpitch.com. August 9, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  17. ^ "Former Softball All-American Jefferson guides Texas Smoke to WPF Championship". texassports.com. August 16, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  18. ^ Napier, Briar (August 14, 2023). "WPF Championship Recap: How The Texas Smoke Won Inaugural League Title". FloSoftball.com. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  19. ^ "USA Softball announces 2022 Women's National Team World Games Roster". teamusa.org. January 7, 2022. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  20. ^ Keeney, Mike (January 14, 2022). "Nimitz Grad Janae Jefferson Earns Spot on USA Softball Women's National Team". aldineisd.org. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  21. ^ "USA wins The World Games gold medal, three-peats as women's softball world champion". wbsc.org. July 14, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  22. ^ "Former Softball great Jefferson appointed to USWNT Pan American Games roster". texassports.com. August 31, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  23. ^ "University of Texas Softball Player Janae Jefferson Joins U.S. Women's National Team for Pan American Games". bvmsports.com. September 1, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  24. ^ "Japan outscore USA in the final to become Women's Softball World Champions". wbsc.org. July 20, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
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