Why Jaysoni Beachum Chose Florida State

Jaysoni Beachum is a 2023 high school graduate who is a member of Florida State's highly-touted softball recruiting class headed to Tallahassee this fall. Beachum, a product of Dothan, Ala. who recently moved to Tallahassee, is one of the best young power hitters in the country.

She will be a solid addition to a Seminoles squad that is fresh off its third WCWS championship series appearance in the past five years.

Softball America had the opportunity to chat with Beachum, who is SA's No. 49 recruit in the class of 2023, about her softball journey to date, recruiting process and much more.

Read below for SA's full interview with Florida State's newest power bat.

Softball America: Why did you decide to commit to Florida State? 

Jaysoni Beachum: Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of going to Florida State University. I attended many sporting events (there) and even the FSU circus. When I started playing softball, I began to follow the FSU softball team closely. Then, my parents signed me up for FSU kiddie camps and I was hooked ever since. I wasn’t thinking about recruiting or even knew what recruiting was. I just thought, 'I want to play like (them).'

As I got older, I quickly realized that that’s not how it works. Florida State softball was just one of those teams that would have a special place in my heart whether I got to play for them or not. I’m so grateful the opportunity was given to me to be a Seminole.

SA: What was your recruiting process like? 

JB: To be honest, recruiting involved a lot of stuff I didn’t want to do. For example, making videos for coaches and constantly emailing and calling (them). Although it may have been necessary so coaches knew I had interest, it was stressful. One reason is because of the recruiting rule change. Coaches couldn’t email you back or talk to you before Sept. 1 (of your junior year in high school), so it was just a one-sided conversation for the longest time.

I play for a great travel ball team, so several coaches would watch our games constantly, but my entire team was good, so you didn’t really know who the coaches were watching. But when Sept. 1 came around, all the one-sided interaction wasn’t in vein. I had several coaches contact me and it was a sigh of relief. But when I saw FSU's email, it was a dream come true.

SA: What made you want to play softball? 

JB: I’ve always been an outdoor person, and one day my dad and I were outside playing in the front yard with a little plastic bat and squishy ball. He saw that I could hit the ball pretty good for a four-year-old. So, he signed me up for T-ball, and I have been loving and playing softball ever since.

SA: How did high school and travel softball prepare you for the next step?

JB: High school ball and travel ball for me were total opposites. Travel ball for me was definitely played at a more elite level. However, high school ball helped prepare me for the mental side of things, such as how to deal with people's opinions and how to interact with fans and people in general in the community. High school ball also gave me some experience dealing with school work and playing games at the same time, which I feel gave me a taste of how it will be in college.

SA: What are you most looking forward to at FSU?

JB: There are several things I’m looking forward to at FSU. For example, my first home run, first time playing defense, first time in the dugout as an actual player and many more things. But the ultimate thing I’m looking forward to is continuing to help build the legacy that is constantly getting stronger each year at FSU.

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