LSU stud pitcher Jayden Heavener came onto the scene with a bang in 2025, but she has hit a plateau through the first two weekends of SEC play.
The Tigers have created a new brand of LSU softball since the season started, and Heavener has been a big part of that branding. In years past, it hasn’t mattered what team the Bayou Bengals played to kick off the season, but LSU head coach Beth Torina always reached for her ace in the season opener.
Sydney Berzon was expected to be the pitching staff’s ace this season, but Heavener started the first game of the year. It’s not to say that Berzon hasn’t been trusted as the ace, but Heavener has made waves early in the 2025 season.
Everyone knew Heavener at the national level before she ever stepped on the field as a Tiger. She was the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024 and was named the MaxPreps National Player of the Year and the Florida Softball Gatorade Player of the Year.
Heavener wasted no time before making a name for herself in the LSU history books. She threw a six-inning perfect game in the purple and gold in her first outing. Heavener didn’t shake early either, pitching in intense games against Virginia Tech, Northwestern University, UL-Laffayette and several other schools.
It wasn’t until SEC play that Heavener started to look a bit like a true freshman. SEC play isn’t easy, and Torina gave her the ball quickly in Game 2 of the Kentucky series. The coaching staff and her teammates trusted Heavener, but she looked nervous.
Torina has said that Heavener’s confidence is a big part of how she plays, and in her last two outings, her confidence may have faded a bit.
In Game 2 versus Kentucky, Heavener got into some uncharacteristic hot water. She didn’t necessarily do anything wrong, but the game was close, and the Wildcats were starting to string together hits. Torina pulled her early to shut down Kentucky’s momentum.
When the Tigers visited Athens, Heavenner was also the Saturday night starter. Heavener was pitching in another close game for LSU, but Torina let her work out of the jam this time.
Heavener walked seven batters in six innings against the Bulldogs on Saturday. In addition to that, she threw two wild pitches and hit one other batter. Luckily, the Georgia starter also had some consistency issues throughout the game, allowing the Tigers to capitalize big.
So where have these moments of immaturity been hiding for this freshman phenom? They haven’t.
Free passes have been an issue for Heavener this whole season. She still has a sub-two ERA, but walks and hit-by-pitches aren’t considered earned runs and do not count toward Heavener’s ERA.
Through over 59 innings of pitching, Heavener has walked 33 batters, thrown seven wild pitches and hit 11 batters. Eight walks, three wild pitches and two hit batters have all come in SEC play.
The shakiness of Heavener’s last two outings is simply growing pains for the freshman. Once she adjusts to the difficulty of SEC play, she will start to get the results she had in non-conference play.
“It’s a game of failure,” Heavener said after her opening day excellence. “So it’s good to step out there for my first time and just let people know that I am who I am.”
Heavener also has a lot of time to grow. She’s only a freshman, but SEC play makes young players grow up fast. It takes a tough pitcher to throw a perfect game in her first outing, and Heavener has proven she is tough so far this season. SEC play is no exception to building toughness.
Despite her strong start to the season with her perfect game, Heavener knows that SEC play is meant to challenge her pitching prowess.
“Just to know that if I do have a bad game, it is what it is,” Heavener said following the season opener. “It’s a game of failure, so I’m gonna have my uphill and have downhills.”
