Every year the melting snow and warm air signify the start of the baseball season. A time to revel with teammates, learn from coaches, and appreciate that the school year is coming to an end with summer right around the corner.
The Bradford Minor Baseball Association (BMBA) is full of kids who love being at the baseball diamond with their friends while working to improve their game and trying to emulate the likes of Vlad Guerrero Jr., Shohei Ohtani, and Justin Verlander.
One of those kids is Jadyn Sagert, a 13-year-old girl who has become known as one of the best bats in Bradford.
"Jadyn is a 13-year-old rockstar that has played in our rep program for a number of years,” said Association President John McBeth. “I have had the honour of managing the teams that she has been a part of, and collectively with the coaching staff, have watched her grow and develop into a very strong, smart, and dedicated player. She is a powerhouse—you won't find a more talented first base player and if she threw her curveball, you would be amazed at how well she can pitch as well.”
Last week, the Association received news that Jadyn had made the Ontario 16U Girls Baseball Team at just 13. As a result, Jadyn and her family will be heading to PEI later this summer as she represents Ontario in the National Championships.
“I was shocked, and I was so excited when I found out,” said Jadyn. “I can’t put the words together because it’s just such an amazing opportunity that I never thought I’d get, especially at the age of 13.”
“She was crying and couldn’t put words together,” added Kerri-Ann, Jadyn’s mother. “It’s unbelievable but at the same time her drive is insane.”
“It’s unbelievable,” said Jeff, Jadyn’s father. “I never thought it was a possibility, especially at this age. At some point I thought she could do something like this, but never at the age of 13. It’s beyond comprehension and I’m still in shock about it now.”
Jadyn’s love of the game started at a young age when her father got her involved in a local baseball program. It was just a few years ago she realized she had the talent to play at a higher level.
“It started with my dad showing me the softball house league in Bradford and I played softball for three years before moving on to baseball,” she said. “A couple years ago when I was throwing and hitting at team practices, I was throwing harder and hitting further than most my teammates. And I thought, ‘am I more talented than I think I am?’”
Setting goals is what helps Jadyn stay on her A-game. She tries not to look too far ahead and focuses on little steps that will drive her to accomplishing the big ones.
“You can always be better, so I put little goals every year,” she said. “If I was throwing 60 last year, this year I want to try and get up to 67 or 68, and with my swing, I want the speed to increase as well. With little goals, they all add up in the long run. It’s little by little that it all adds up.”
Any parent would be thrilled to see their child having fun playing the game they love, but Jadyn’s parents take so much pride in seeing her commit herself and succeed in such a large way on the diamond.
“First and foremost, she’s put in so much time and effort,” said Jeff. “She goes so above and beyond what her coaches expect her to do. She’s had this drive in her for a very long time. It’s amazing to see her be able to excel to the point she has because it would never happen without the effort she put in. We’re super proud, we’ve been smiling ever since we heard she made the team.”
“It’s a drive, but it’s a passion that’s lit within her,” Keri-Ann explained. “If one of her coaches wants them to take the night off, she’s doesn’t want to because she’s consistently pushing herself trying to be better at every aspect of the game. But she’s also very encouraging to the rest of her team as well and fits right in with all the boys. When she watches a Jay’s game, she’s analyzing the game to see if there’s anything she can implement from the pro’s game into her game. It’s like that all the time, when we watch a Jay’s game, you cannot talk. She’s so focused and puts into practice anything she can pick up from the pros.”
A few months ago, Jeff and Keri-Ann noticed that Jadyn might be even better than they previously thought, and thus began the journey to making the 16U team.
“We kind of realized it when she made the AA team this year with coach Jeff Nazzer because he basically asked her if she was coming out,” said Jeff. “You could tell as soon as she stepped on the field that she was making that team. At that point we realized our kid is something different. We haven’t seen another girl in all the games we’ve played in this year. It’s been all boys, so that kind of makes it stand out in itself.”
“The drive comes from within, but it really is her coaches that have really built her to what she is, and she absolutely loves and respects them,” said Keri-Ann. “One of the coaches told me she’s easy to coach because she loves what she’s doing and has a smile on her face all the time.”
Jadyn’s love of the game comes easily because, to her, it’s not just about what’s happening on the diamond, it’s about the lifelong lessons she’s learning and relationships she’s building.
“It’s more than just a sport,” she said. “It’s meeting new people, it’s life opportunities, it’s so much more to me.”
