Lisey St. Jean and her ukulele might not sell out any arenas. But her softball skills just might.
The Paul VI High School junior and North Carolina State commit is one of the most talented softball players in the area. She just needs a little work on her strumming skills on the uke.
“I love music, and I’ve been playing the ukulele since sixth grade. But I don’t know [how to play] much. I didn’t say I was good,” St. Jean said with a laugh.
That’s OK. She’s plenty good at softball. Through her first 19 games this season, St. Jean was batting an incredible .721 with 40 runs scored and 17 RBIs, and was reaching base more than 75 percent of the time. She already collected her 100th career hit this season and is easily on pace to eclipse 50 hits this season with 49 through May 13.
“I’m trying to get to 50 this season,” said St. Jean, who plans to study sports management at N.C. State. “I’ve been working on everything in my game. I’ve really been working in a full swing to keep the other team on their toes. In past years, I’ve only been slapping, so now I’m bunting more, full swing and slapping to mix it up a little bit.”
The opposition rarely has an answer. Through May 13, St. Jean has hit safely in 19 straight games and has scored at least one run in 18 of those games.
“Lisey has been a great leader on and off the field for the girls,” said first-year Paul VI coach Alexa Massa. “She’s a great role model for them, and she’s making sure every win is a team win. She gets the job done and also trusts her teammates as well to get the job done.”
It’s something St. Jean learned from her three older sisters – Ally, Belle and Lilly – all high school athletes.
Ally was a star softball catcher and Belle was a steady soccer defender, as both graduated from Cherokee High School. Lilly played softball at Paul VI last year and is playing at the next level at Villanova University. There were a lot of teaching moments learned in the Paul VI dugout the last two years.
“It was great,” St. Jean said. “Lilly really set a good example for me. I feel like she really led me to where I am today. She pushed me a lot.”
Lilly and St. Jean went 18-3 last year together, as Lilly led the team in both hits (43) and RBIs (30). The two also played club ball together for the Newtown Rock in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
“My sister really set that example for me, so I’m just following in her footsteps,” St. Jean said. “She taught me how to be a leader.”
The youngest daughter in the St. Jean family is now handing down those lessons to a relatively young team with just one senior on the roster.
“I think our culture is really great,” St. Jean said. “Everyone is picking each other up constantly. Nobody ever feels down. If you go 0-for-3, somebody is going to pick you up – we’re all working together.”
It starts with St. Jean, leading off and playing centerfield.
“Lisey’s confidence on the field is very contagious,” Massa said. “She’s also forming really good relationships with the other captains and with the underclassmen as well. She’s become quite a leader.”
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