Doing the dirty work
With as well as Jessica Defreitas has played in this season at Mesa Community College, it is no wonder she has been playing softball her entire life.
“She was the MVP of her T-ball team when she first started playing,” Defreitas’ mother, Cheryl Musgrove, told the Mesa Legend.
The mother of the defending NJCAA Player of the Year, said that her daughter took the game on her shoulders even at a young age.
“In T-ball, when the ball was hit, she would never throw the ball to the first baseman, she would just run it to first base or tag the runner before they got there. Even if she was playing at third she would still run the ball over to first base.”
That speed has paid off for Defreitas mightily this season. She leads the ACCAC in stolen bases this season with 48, 12 ahead of Central Arizona’s Yasmeen Watkins. Defreitas has been thrown out only twice on the base paths all season.
Defreitas has not only thrived on her speed this year, she has been a phenomenal hitter for the Thunderbirds this season.
As of April 8, Defreitas was near the top of nearly every single offensive category in the ACCAC.
She is second in batting average in the ACCAC behind Chandler-Gilbert’s Renee Welty with a .559 average.
Defreitas leads the league in hits with 95 and home runs with 21.
MCC sophomore Stephanie Bisgard is second in the conference in hits with 80 on the season.
Defreitas has relyed heavily on her speed this season. She is dominating the ACCAC in runs scored with 87. Closest to her is Pima’s Kelly Nielson with 64 runs.
The sophomore, who, according to her mother will be attending Arizona State in the fall, is also third in doubles (17), third in triples (8), and third in RBIs (64).
As valuable as her stats are, the way she helps to lead and motivate her team is equally crucial. She has been the vocal leader of her club all year.
“She has always been a great leader,” Musgrove said. “She always wants to put the team on her shoulders.”
Volume
44, Issue 13. Today is
Scott Seligman/Mesa Legend