Pahrump Valley High School freshman pitcher Jaycie Hayes has accomplished something no other pitcher in Nevada has done this season: reach 200 strikeouts. She achieved the milestone on April 21 during a road game against Moapa Valley in Logandale, striking out the side in the bottom of the sixth inning on a full count.

Hayes finished that game with eight strikeouts, bringing her total to 201. She has since added 10 more in her next outing, giving her 211 strikeouts this season. The freshman also has three no-hitters to her name this year, including a near-perfect game against The Meadows on April 10 where she surrendered just one walk.

“I’m going to get 200 before the season ends,” Hayes told the Pahrump Valley Times after a game in Boulder City. She made good on that promise.

Trojans head coach Brian Hayes, who is also her father, praised her competitiveness. “Her fastball is a pretty deadly combination with what we’re doing,” he said. “Yeah, believe me, she reminds me every time I get home: ‘Dad, I need more innings today!’ I’m like, be nice to your brothers, and I’ll think about it.”

Hayes credits her pitching coach Shelbi Denman from the Dani Spaulding pitching academy, as well as her father, who started catching for her when she was 9 years old. She also acknowledged her catchers, Madison Rodriguez and Mariah Gray, saying, “A good catcher is everything.”

Her most effective pitches this season have been her curveball and riseball, complemented by an off-speed pitch that keeps batters off balance. Hayes approaches each batter similarly but is especially careful with the middle of the lineup.

Reflecting on her journey, Hayes said, “Reaching 200 strikeouts means a lot to me personally because I think that it is something that I’ve worked hard for ever since I was a little kid and now that work is finally paying off and I’m able to perform for my school and my town so it means a lot to me.”