Meet the second-generation DeLand softball freshman leading Volusia-Flagler in home runs
DELAND — At first glance, a freshman topping the Volusia-Flagler softball leaderboard in home runs might come as a shock. However, in the case of DeLand's De-Niya Padgett, she has plenty of experience competing against girls several years her senior.
Padgett, 15, bumped up to 18-and-under travel ball by the time she turned 12 — viewed by her mother, Chayla Miller, as the best decision they have made in the sport.
"Once I got to high school, I was like, 'OK, I'm used to this. So, girl, just smack that thing,'" Padgett said. "It's more complicated than that. You have to have a mindset, and you have to have work ethic."
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Entering spring break, Padgett cracked seven home runs — including a handful of the inside-the-park variety, according to Bulldogs coach Kristin D'Aquino. She also ranked second locally in runs (19) and in RBIs (20).
In total, Padgett leads the Bulldogs in slugging percentage (.857) and OPS (1.234), posting a .347 average in 53 plate appearances. Yet it's her speed, D'Aquino believes, that is her biggest weapon at this point of her development.
"That girl is fast, one of the fastest girls we have … by seconds," D'Aquino said.
"When she came out for tryouts, we were all like, 'Who is this girl?' She was diving, running fast to get balls we thought were uncatchable. She could get them."
Padgett is a second-generation DeLand athlete; Miller played softball, and father De-Terion Padgett suited up for the Bulldogs' football and baseball programs. As a child, Padgett wanted to dance, cheer and run track, initially having no interest in holding a bat.
That changed, Miller said, at age 7 with a trip to the batting cages at Family Fun Town in Orange City.
"As soon as I went up there, I was like, 'Oh yeah, this is my thing,'" Padgett said. "I had been everything else, but it was time to try something new. And I thought, 'You've got to be great at it.'"
Padgett has sharpened her skills since middle school with DME Academy's 18U travel team. Haley Worden, a senior infielder at Taylor and DME teammate, said Padgett embraced a leadership role despite being one of the younger girls on the squad.
"She's extremely loud, which is a great thing on the softball field," Worden said after the Wildcats' 8-2 win at DeLand on Tuesday afternoon. "She loves to take charge. She is sweet and there for you when you mess up."
Padgett is part of a youthful core group for DeLand, which dropped to 7-6 on the season. The team's top six hitters are underclassmen: juniors Brianne Yocum and Hailey Whidden, sophomores Payton Mathis, Emily Fantone and Tameeya Hill, and Padgett. Fantone and Whidden also split the pitching duties for the Bulldogs.
D'Aquino holds high hopes for the group and for Padgett.
"I think she could be a rockstar," D'Aquino said. "She can definitely be one of the best outfielders in Volusia County. She is an all-around player."
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: High school softball: Freshman leads Volusia-Flagler area in homers
