On the softball field, Jillian Albayati epitomizes the words of Theodore Roosevelt.
“Speak softly and carry a big stick.”
“I like the season I’m having,” the understated Cal State San Marcos senior said recently. “But I can do more.”
Honestly, it’s almost impossible for her to do more.
Albayati’s .571 batting average is the best in the nation among NCAA Division II softball players. She ranks third in the nation in RBIs (56), fourth in hits (64) and ninth in home runs (12). She is a finalist for the national NCAA Division II Softball Player of the Year Award.
And the best part of her game might be her defense at shortstop.
“She has the strongest arm I’ve seen on a softball player,” said CSUSM coach A.J. Robinson. “She throws out hitters at first on throws from the 5.5 hole like she were Derek Jeter.”
In fact, it is Albayati’s arm that will take her into the next chapter of her career. Albayati was San Francisco’s first-round (16th overall) draft pick in the founding draft of the new Women’s Professional Baseball League. Albayati will first pitch for Team USA in this summer’s Women’s World Baseball Cup before turning pro.
“There’s a lot to be done,” said a young woman who has already done a lot.
Anaheim’s Jillian Albayati reacts after the team turns a double play during the CIF-SS Division 6 championship game against Estancia at Goodwin Field in Fullerton on Saturday, May 21, 2022. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Contributing Photographer)
As an Anaheim High School senior in 2022, Albayati was named the California and Orange County Female Athlete of the Year after going 12-0 as a pitcher and hitting .333 as an outfielder on a boys baseball team that reached the section championship game. She was also nationally recognized with an ESPY. More recently, Albayati was honored by the San Diego Hall of Champions as a Star of the Month for March.
“She deserves to be the National Player of the Year,” said Robinson. “She is the best player I have ever coached. I’m biased. But rival coaches and players have spoken in awe of what she can do.”
Last week, for example, Albayati hit a three-run, walk-off home run as CSUSM defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills 3-2 as part of a four-game sweep that returned the 36-3 Cougars to the No. 1 spot in the national rankings. She was 2-for-4 in the game and 6-for-12 in the series — meaning her batting average dropped eight points.
Perhaps the surprise of Albayati’s college career is that she remained at San Marcos all four years. How did she not start with or transfer to a Division I program?
“Because I played on the baseball team in high school,” she said, “no college coaches saw me play softball.”
Plus, Albayati explained, “I love it here at San Marcos.”
“I’ve made a family here,” she said. “I have a second family away from home, but I’m still close enough to home that my parents, family and friends can still be part of what I’m doing. And, I’d love to say thanks by bringing a national title here.”
Jillian Albayati follows through on a swing. (Cal State San Marcos athletics)
Because she had focused on baseball for more than a decade as a youth, Albayati said she arrived at San Marcos with much to learn about softball.
“The approach to hitting is different in baseball and softball,” she said. “I’d scout and talk to my new teammates. I just figured out my swing. It took some time to develop the confidence I needed. Honestly, I’m surprising myself a little bit. And I wasn’t expecting this much attention.”
Jillian Albayati is all smiles in the Cal State San Marcos dugout. (Cal State San Marcos athletics)
Albayati is 64-for-112 this season with 22 walks against three strikeouts. In addition to 12 home runs and 56 RBIs, she has scored 31 runs with 13 doubles and two stolen bases. Albayati has a .637 on-base percentage and a 1.009 slugging percentage for a 1.646 OPS.
“She is a very impressive young lady,” said Robinson. “She has values. A lot of Division I programs could have benefited from a player like Jillian. It’s really impressive that she has never thought about going somewhere else.
“I think what stands out the most is the way she plays the game, including a smooth, effortless ability on defense.”