By: Clare Keenan, MSUB Athletics Media Relations Interns
BILLINGS, Mont. – "You're a freshman— nobody knows you."
Jazlyn Kalehuawehe took a deep breath and stepped out of the dugout at Great Park in Irvine, Calif. Donning a golden Yellowjacket jersey and Eyeblack stripes, Kalehuawehe eyed the fans in the stadium. Among the spectators, Kalehuawehe spotted her family, including her brother, Cody, who had traveled from Hawaii to watch the freshman's first collegiate softball appearance. She returned her gaze back to home plate as her name was announced.
Butterflies danced in her stomach as Kalehuawehe positioned herself at the plate for her at-bat during the first inning. She had carried a sense of anxiety since first seeing her name on the lineup. So much had gone into her path to this very moment, and it was finally here. Despite this anxiety, Kalehuawehe turned towards the challenge instead of away from it.
The bases were loaded as the first few pitches went by, and Kalehuawehe fell behind in the count 1-2. "Then I just felt it."
Connecting cleanly with a pitch over the heart of the plate, the freshman crushed a deep fly ball that cleared the fence in right-center. The Yellowjacket dugout and her family in the crowd erupted. In her first collegiate at-bat, Kalehuawehe had hit a grand slam.
Head coach
Lisa McKinney called the moment the "welcoming of Jazzy" to Montana State University Billings softball. To McKinney, Kalehuawehe's grand slam is indicative of her potential as a Yellowjacket.
As Kalehuawehe rounded the bases, her name rung from the dugout amid applause and cheers. As she crossed the home plate, the reality of her freshman season set in. Teammates surrounded Kalehuawehe, chanting her name. Reflecting back on the monumental moment, Kalehuawehe had one thought: "Wow. My freshman year has begun. Let's get into season."
AN ATHLETE FROM THE START
The freshman corner infielder grew up in Folsom, Calif., just on the outskirts of bustling Sacramento. Kalehuawehe's parents, older brother, and greater family were all born in Hawaii, so being the only one in the family born off the island left her feeling a sense of disconnect.
The place in Kalehuawehe's life where she found strong and widespread connection in her family was through sports, and she grew up surrounded by athletes. Her first athletic venture began with soccer but quickly included softball and basketball to make Kalehuawehe a multi-sport athlete.
Kalehauwehe continued to pursue all three sports up until middle school, where she decided to focus on softball. Given the history of athletes in her family, and several of those playing in college, Kalehuawehe also decided early on that collegiate softball was a dream.
Two of those familial inspirations were Kalehuawehe's older brother, Cody, and her cousin Tayanna Mata. Cody Kalehuawhe played baseball, while Mata played softball as well, transferring to the University of Hawaii as a second baseman after two years of junior college ball.
Kalehuawehe's Hawaiian heritage plays an important role in her life and identity, so in addition to her brother and cousin, Kalehuawehe also looks up to native Hawaiian, Jocelyn Alo. Alo currently plays at the University of Oklahoma, the 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year who broke the NCAA DI home run record.
To Kalehuawehe, Alo's success was a large motivator as she was in high school. "She is from Hawaii as well, so she is a big influence for Hawaiian kids. Seeing her break the home run record made me say 'wow, that is possible for everyone.'"
With strong role models from an early age, Kalehuawehe continued to fall in love with softball. Namely, Kalehuawehe came to love the challenges of softball. "I love the competitiveness. It's a big game of failure, so you have to have a lot of mental toughness."
FOLLOWING THE PATH TO COLLEGE BALL
The grit and toughness that Kalehuawehe developed in the game would prove necessary as she moved through the college recruiting process, too.
Kalehuawehe knew very early on that her dreams included collegiate softball. As she reflected back on it, Kalehuawehe began her search in eighth grade, crediting Tayanna Mata for kickstarting the search. "It started with seeing my cousin go through the recruiting process and thinking I could do that too."
Kalehuawehe honed her game as she moved into high school, playing both high school ball and travel ball up until her junior year. Kalehuawehe's junior year was accompanied by the beginning of the pandemic and a tough academic choice. Kalehuawehe voluntarily took her junior high school season off, opting to focus on her classes instead. "I knew if I wanted to go to college I really needed to lean into that, so I sacrificed my junior year season because ultimately academics are more important than that."
Despite the pandemic's onset during Kalehuawehe's junior year, high school softball continued on, but the college ball world was severely affected. Kalehuawehe found that colleges were no longer responding when contacted, or were hesitant about finding new players. "When COVID hit it was really tough because it was my main time for recruiting and colleges weren't looking at players as much due to budget cuts and extra years of eligibility."
As her junior year progressed, Kalehuawehe began to feel the stress of recruiting. Kalehuawehe saw other college prospects beginning to commit, and felt stuck between a rock and a hard place as the pandemic raged on and her senior year approached. This challenge was exactly what Kalehuawehe had been preparing for since she was six. "I was so determined to play college softball. Even though it was stressful, I knew there was a school out there for me and I focused on that. It didn't matter what division or anything. I just want to play college softball."
Kalehuawehe held fast to her dream of collegiate ball and belief that the right school would reveal herself, and come the end of her junior year, her perseverance was rewarded.
Kalehuawehe had met Coach McKinney several years prior while McKinney was still coaching at the University of Nevada, Reno. McKinney had previously been the head coach at MSUB from 2012 to 2015 before taking the position at UNR. McKinney returned to MSUB as head coach in 2019 and is now in her cumulative tenth year of coaching at MSUB.
Despite the years between their initial meeting, Coach McKinney felt that Kalehuawehe possessed potential that could elevate the MSUB Softball program. When recruiting, McKinney values players that fit her coaching style, are strong students, and have an even stronger character. When recruiting Kalehuawehe, McKinney felt that she "had all three of those qualities."
Additionally, McKinney valued Kalehuawehe's presence on the field and strong bat. "Jazzy is constantly talking on the infield, which is good information to be put out on a softball team so people know what to do with the ball but it also encourages our pitches, to constantly hear someone behind them cheering them on."
In November of 2020, after a long and tumultuous recruiting process, Kalehuawehe signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her softball career as a Yellowjacket.
A BRIGHT FUTURE AS A YELLOWJACKET
After the long road to collegiate ball, Kalehuawehe began her freshman year in the fall of 2021. The fall semester allowed Kalehuawehe to establish herself within the program and the greater MSUB community before delving into the spring season. These communities bolstered Kalehuawehe's excitement to be a Yellowjacket, and remarked "I like how close people are here."
With a series left in the spring season, Kalehuawehe has further proven her potential for the program. Kalehuawehe is currently tied for second on the team for home runs with six, while driving in 13 runs and carrying a .471 slugging percentage.
Juggling the responsibilities of a business administration finance major and athlete, Kalehuawehe values Division II sports' commitment to being a student-athlete as well as developing relationships. "I feel that I made the best decision because I can also focus on my social life and academics."
As Kalehuawehe settles in her new home at MSUB, she is only growing in her potential as a Yellowjacket. Her first collegiate at-bat resulting in a grand slam showcases a glimpse into her glimmering future, one that Coach McKinney believes could leave an impressive legacy. "I think Jazzy has the potential to be in the MSUB history books as one of the top hitters when it comes to home runs, extra base hits, and RBIs."
Considering the statement she made in the first at-bat of her career, the name
Jazlyn Kalehuawehe figures to be a fixture in the Yellowjacket lineup for years to come.
