
Puyallup High School's freshman pitcher Jaycee Kemp has made an impressive impact in softball, showcasing instant dominance in her debut. Coach Alec Elliott had high expectations but was surprised by her performance.
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Emerald Ridge outfield jumps in the air at the start of the inning during the softball game at Puyallup High School, on Friday, April 18, 2025, in Puyallup, Wash.
(Brian Hayes/bhayes@thenewstribune.com)
Alec Elliott knew of the promising freshman pitcher on her way to Puyallup High, but this sort of instant dominance? Even the fifth-year head coach couldnât see that much coming.
Elliott, Puyallupâs softball and girls basketball coach, first knew Jaycee Kemp as a hooper. Kempâs mother, Jamie, coaches junior varsity basketball at Puyallup High, often reminding Elliott of what was to come.
âYou should see her play softball,â sheâd tell Elliott.
Jaycee dropped hints of her own. âOh, I hit 72 (mph) on walkthroughs the other day,â the freshman would tell her head coach.
âIâm like, OK, sure you did,â Elliott thought.
That was before he saw Kemp throw for the first time.
âWhen you get to see it consistently, day in, day out, it was eye-opening,â Elliott said. âIt was pretty exciting.â
One month after entering a high-school pitcherâs circle for the first time, Kemp is the South Soundâs strikeout leader (151 K). She has notched double-digit strikeout totals in 10 of her 13 starts, along with nine shutouts â all while facing some of the stateâs top programs in the 4A SPSL.
âShe wears that emotion and the team kind of gravitates towards that,â Elliott said. âSheâs just unapologetically herself when she gets in the circle, and itâs really cool to watch... like this alter-ego.â
Kemp has dominated some of the areaâs top lineups with an overpowering fastball and nasty curveball, but Elliott thinks the freshman is just scratching the surface of her potential. If Kemp can unlock more of her secondary arsenal over the coming years? Itâs a scary thought. And an exciting one.
She was dialed again this week, twirling 17 combined scoreless innings in three appearances and three wins over Auburn Mountainview, Olympia, and Sumner. Kemp allowed five total hits, walking two and striking out 32. The gems just keep coming.
Kemp is 11-2 with a 0.52 ERA this spring, totaling 151 strikeouts to 25 walks. In 68 innings pitched, sheâs allowed just two extra-base hits.
âSheâs a predominantly-fastball, curveball (pitcher), and her changeup can be pretty good when itâs biting like it should be,â Elliott said. âBut I think developing whether itâs a screwball, whether itâs a rise ball, whether itâs a drop ball⊠would be huge for her as the time goes.
Jaycee Kemp is a freshman pitcher at Puyallup High School, playing softball.
Coach Alec Elliott was aware of Kemp's potential but was surprised by her instant dominance on the field.
In addition to softball, Jaycee Kemp also plays basketball.
The softball game at Puyallup High School took place on Friday, April 18, 2025.

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âAnd thatâs the ultimate compliment. Youâre this good, and you can still develop your arsenal to be even better, is absolutely wild to think.â
Can a no-hitter transcend perfection?
Jozi Thompsonâs brilliant, April 16 gem suggests so.
The Kentridge ace struck out all 16 batters faced in a 15-0 win over Auburn, allowing one Trojans batter to reach via dropped third strike across five shutout innings.
Thatâs right: 16 up, 16 strikeouts.
If it wasnât enough, the leadoff-hitting Thompson went 2-for-3 with a double and triple at the plate with a walk and two RBI.
The junior right-hander is 6-3 with a 1.81 ERA across 58 innings this spring, piling 132 strikeouts to just 21 walks. Sheâs batting .562 (18-for-32) with three home runs, six doubles, and 20 RBI.
Graham-Kapowsinâs Brooklyn Pettit burst onto the South Soundâs softball scene with 120 strikeouts as a freshman last spring â a mark the right-hander has already shattered.
Pettit fanned 11 more across four no-hit innings in Thursdayâs win over Curtis, adding two hits and two walks while crushing her fifth home run of the season.
She threw nine innings Friday, striking out 16 in an extra-inning thriller over Rogers, 9-8. The Eagles are 13-1 and poised for another deep state tournament run after a third-place finish in last yearâs 4A bracket.
Pettit is 11-0 with a 0.43 ERA and 152 strikeouts (56 IP) this spring. Sheâs hitting .462 (18-for-39) with five home runs and 22 RBI, all from one of the stateâs deepest and toughest leagues.