Carmel senior Jayden Kleiner is batting .521 in her senior season and has helped the Greyhounds to their best start in a season in five years. Kleiner has committed to play at Michigan. (Photo courtesy WISH-TV)
By CHARLES HUIRAS
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
Carmel softball’s Jayden Kleiner is on a tear through the latter half of the Greyhounds regular season.
The senior has a .521 batting average and 16 extra-base hits through 18 games. The Greyhounds 10-8 record marks the program’s best start to a season in five years, and Kleiner has a lot to do with it.
Kleiner was asked about her leadership role and how Carmel has turned the program around this year after a 6-17 record last season.
“Leadership isn’t something that’s forced upon me, it’s just something that I step into,” Kleiner said. “As a senior class we work really well together, we’re best friends off the field so I think that helps with the way that we lead. Everybody knows their role, everyone has a role and we work together. We’ve all done a great job at bonding with the younger kids.”
Kleiner has a career batting average of .449 with 24 home runs through 88 games. She shared some of what she’s learned over her four years of high school softball.
“One thing that I have learned is that there are three parts of the game, defense, offense, and then the mental side,” Kleiner said. “I think one place that I do capitalize now that I’m a senior is if I’m not performing, then not taking myself out of two of the three. If I’m not hitting well that day, I can’t take myself out mentally. I need to be there for my teammates.”
She also shared what her mindset is at the plate.
“Going up there with the mindset of I have nothing to lose,” Kleiner said. “I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone. Just having fun, staying within myself, and producing for my team because my team makes things happen.”
Kleiner, a Michigan commit, is excited to play for the Wolverines next season.
I’m really, really, really excited for Michigan,” Kleiner said. “The reason I chose Michigan was because I felt like it was the place where I could develop the most as a player. I also felt like I could get the best education there. I love softball, but I’m really excited to see what’s after softball for me. I felt like Michigan was going to develop me the most as a softball player and as a student. The culture they have there was something I wasn’t seeing anywhere else, and I’m really excited to be a part of that.”
The Greyhounds have six regular-season games left before the start of sectionals.
This story originally appeared on WISH-TV at wishtv.com/sports/athlete-of-the-week-carmel-softballs-jayden-kleiner/
