Central Catholic’s hard-working infielder is Modesto Bee Softball Player of the Year
Central Catholic infielder Jazmarie Roberts wanted her senior year to be her best.
Though she improved statistically every season of her high school career, she wasn’t satisfied. She wanted more production and more team success.
After a summer, fall and winter of practice and extra work on the field and in the weight room, a career year is what she produced.
Roberts, who will play at Arizona State next season, turned in career highs in batting average (.486), hits (54), RBI (58), doubles (19), triples (4), home runs (8) and runs scored (43). Those numbers were some of the best in not only the Sac-Joaquin Section, but the state. She finished seventh in the state and second in the section in RBI, 12th in the section in home runs, 14th in the section in runs scored. She also was ninth of all Division IV players across the section in slugging percentage (.946).
She didn’t just shine offensively, though. Roberts excelled at second base and was part of a key postseason double play to keep the Raiders’ season alive. With Central Catholic leading Manteca 1-0 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinals against Manteca, the Buffaloes had the bases loaded in the sixth inning with no outs. Roberts fielded a ground ball and fired it to catcher Madison Harrison standing on home, and Harrison relayed the ball to first baseman Brooklyn Nicholls for a double play. The Raiders got out of the inning without allowing a run and earned a spot in their fourth straight section title game with the narrow victory. Roberts drove in the game’s only run in the third inning.
“This year, I was focused on getting better and getting myself ready for college,” she said. “I really wanted to grow. I set goals for myself and I wanted to be the best player out on the field.”
The individual improvements and success led to team success. The Raiders finished the regular season as undefeated Valley Oak League champions, won at least 20 games for the fourth straight year and Roberts was named VOL MVP.
After leading her team to regular season and postseason success while posting career highs in offensive and defensive categories, Roberts is The Bee’s Softball Player of the Year.
It’s a family thing
Roberts’ love for the game is rooted in family.
Not many young softball players get to learn from their favorite athlete every day, but Roberts did. Her favorite softball player was her older sister Joecellia. Jazmarie spent hours on the field with her when they were younger, practicing with Joecellia’s older travel team. And the girls didn’t show her any grace, she said. On the field, there was competition and intensity. It didn’t matter that Jazmarie was four years younger. If she was on the field, she was there to go hard.
“They went hard and taught me how to go hard,” Roberts said.
Joecellia went on to the University of San Diego, where she just finished her fourth season, laying the groundwork for a trio of Division I athletes. Their brother Joel just finished his sophomore season at San Joaquin Delta College and will play at Saint Mary’s College of California, and Roberts will head to Tempe for her freshman year. All three graduated from Central Catholic.
“She paved the way for me in the world of softball,” Roberts said of her big sister. “She introduced me to her coaches, and what she learned, she passed down to me. I don’t think I’d be as good as I am without my older siblings helping me out.”
A successful career leads into college
Through her four-year career as a varsity starter, Roberts played in 128 games and tallied 182 hits, 56 doubles, 13 triples and 14 home runs, and drove in 140 runs. She played a big role in helping the Raiders reach four straight section championship games and win the 2023 CIF Northern California Division III Regional Championship her sophomore year.
But through all the highs, lows, successful seasons and accumulation of stats, Jazmarie said the best part of her career was having fun with her teammates.
“We have such a good relationship with high school softball here,” she said. “I know some people don’t really have that, but it’s really like a home where you feel comfortable to develop, feel comfortable to mess up because your teammates really have your back. I really have to thank my teammates, too, because … it was a good environment for everyone.”
Now, Roberts focuses on the transition to college, where she will play a tough Big 12 schedule.
“I’m looking forward to the fire,” said Roberts, who plans to major in biomedical sciences with hopes of eventually going to nursing school. “When you watch college softball, it’s entertainment, and I want to entertain people and have people come out and have a good time and be a good role model for all those little girls and be someone they can look up to and make them want to play.”
Roberts is entering college at the right time. College softball is as big as it’s ever been and breaks new viewership records nearly every year. She realizes the platform she’s stepping into and wants to be part of the good momentum.
“It’s going to continue to grow and I want to be a part of that,” she said.
Fan Vote Player of the Year
Jaelyn Lee stepped in as the ace for the Oakdale softball team and there were no nerves. She said she was ready. The senior spent most of her varsity career at first base, but the University of the Pacific-bound senior was the Mustangs’ top pitcher this season.
Of all pitchers at Sac-Joaquin Section Division III schools, Lee was one of the best every outing. She finished eighth in ERA (2.55), fifth in strikeouts (113) and third in wins (12) — all career highs. The three-year varsity player also posted career highs in batting average (.392), hits (29), RBI (21), doubles (5) and home runs (2). She finished top three on the team in each offensive category.
Lee’s individual success translated into team success as the Mustangs once again reached the Sac-Joaquin Section postseason. Her final win in a Mustang uniform was one to remember as she threw a playoff one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts in a first-round 7-0 win over Bear Creek. She also hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a 0-0 tie. She finished the game with two hits and two walks.
The fans noticed her production in the circle this season, voting her The Bee’s Fan Vote Softball Player of the Year. Lee won the poll with a late surge, earning 42% of the over 17,300 votes to narrowly beat out second place. She finished ahead of Ceres infielder Ava Montesdeoca and Beyer pitcher Jordyn Lish, who came in first and second, respectively.
2025 All-District Softball Teams
First Team
P: Jaelyn Lee — Oakdale, Senior
P: Alizae Cole — Ceres, Senior
P: Jordyn Lish — Beyer, Senior
P: Kaylee Ruiz — Enochs, Sophomore
INF: Taryn Calderon — Central Catholic, Senior
INF: Ava Montesdeoca — Ceres, Senior
INF: Samantha Nichols — Central Catholic, Sophomore
INF: Madi Bohannon — Oakdale, Senior
INF: Makayla Alailima — Enochs, Senior
INF: Grace Cruthis — Patterson, Senior
INF: Angelina Hoffman — Gregori, Junior
C: Madison Harrison — Central Catholic, Junior
C: Lillian Camarena — Enochs, Junior
C: Mackenzie Hough — Beyer, Senior
OF: Morgan Merzon — Big Valley Christian, Senior
OF: Reese Donaldson — Oakdale, Junior
OF: Camila Ramirez — Enochs, Freshman
OF: Bella Bravo — Ceres, Junior
UTIL: Madison Babasa — Escalon, Junior
UTIL: Cadence Campbell — Turlock, Senior
UTIL: NeVaeh Scheper — Gregori, Senior
Second Team
P: Kylie Tangney — Hughson, Sophomore
P: Brooklyn Steeley — Central Valley, Sophomore
P: Angelina Martinez — Ripon, Junior
INF: Addison Naranjo — Ripon, Junior
INF: Izabelle Spurzem — Ripon, Junior
INF: Mckenna Kimoto — Beyer, Freshman
INF: Kali Saykao — Davis, Senior
INF: Elizabeth Zavala — Patterson, Junior
INF: Chelsee Toon — Beyer, Senior
INF: Sophia Machado — Orestimba, Senior
INF: Arriana Aguirre — Gregori, Senior
INF: Kaliyah Muaia — Gregori, Sophomore
OF: Ceriah Fitzhugh — Central Catholic, Sophomore
OF: Audrey Romiti — Oakdale, Junior
OF: Alana Verges — Beyer, Junior
UTIL: Desirrei Sorci — Patterson, Senior
UTIL: Elizabeth Figueroa — Ceres, Junior
UTIL: Gabriela Delatorre — Central Valley, Junior
UTIL: Maya Guzman — Riverbank, Junior
Honorable Mention: Beyer: AnnMarie Scott; Big Valley Christian: Madyx Mitchell, Cecily Fontana, Kailey Rivera; Central Catholic: Carsyn Lomeli, Stephanie Garcia; Central Valley: Reylena Herrera; Ceres: Kylie Bond; Davis: Iliana Casillas; Downey: Chloe Moreno; Enochs: Gabriela Alvarez, Daniella Barba, Soraya Mendoza; Escalon: Ariana Velasco; Gregori: Audrey Pacheco, Allyson Conway, Angela Stoner; Hilmar: Destiny Denys, Camryn Mattos, Sophie Stivers; Hughson: Emma Carne, Grace Leedom, Allison Moring, Presley Wells; Johansen: Alexis Duran, Olivia Sanchez; Modesto: Alyssa Ramirez, Taylor Luton; Oakdale: Audrey Romiti, Jayci Volonte; Orestimba: Natalie Corella, Salece Machado, Hailey Starr, Kaitlyn Barron; Patterson: Jazmin Isom; Pitman: Keanna Haro, Kaylee Fuller; Ripon: Alana Hernandez, Chloe Lautenslager, Abigail Stewart; Turlock: Audrey Bailey, Abby Maxwell
▪ How the teams were selected: The Bee’s All-District teams were picked through observation and coach nominations with an emphasis on team playoff success. Players not on these lists were not nominated.
This story was originally published June 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
