Florida State has always been a household brand for the Beachum family.

Growing up in Dothan, Alabama, FSU softball third baseman Jaysoni Beachum and her family have "always been big Nole fans." But the family wanted to become more acclimated with Tallahassee following her sophomore season in high school.

At the Houston Academy, she was named Class 3A Hitter of the Year with a .475 batting average and 19 home runs and committed to FSU.

It was then that her family made the 100-mile move southeast to Tallahassee and enrolled at FSU's charter school, Florida High.

From there, Beachum became a regular at FSU games.

"It was pretty cool that I got to go to most of the home games here at FSU. I can always watch it on TV, but just being in the atmosphere here at FSU," Beachum said. "Playing in the game is very different than being a fan, but just watching from a fan perspective allows you to get a feel of the atmosphere."

"You get to see certain pieces that the team does that you don't necessarily get to see all the time on TV."

As she dominated the Tallahassee high school softball scene, winning All-Big Bend Softball Player of the Year in 2022, she began to become a regular at JoAnne Graf Field.

Now, a little over a month into her freshman season, she has emerged as a top hitter for the Seminoles and one of the best freshmen in the nation.

"The nerves are always gonna be there, but Coach A always talks about it doesn't matter," Beachum said. "Whether you're a freshman or not, the game doesn't know, so just still playing the game and just executing what we do.

"Practice is key and it's important just knowing that my sisters are with me to my left and to my right and just eyeing each other up and having fun with at the end of the day."

Hitting the ground running

Beachum is batting a team-high .486 (35-for-72) with six home runs and and 25 RBIs. The only Seminole with more home runs is junior Michaela Edenfield with eight.

"The main thing is to just give me my all to the team every day," Beachum said. "You never know what situations you're gonna be in. I'm just being ready for when I get called upon because I know my team needs me and this is Team 41, Only Need Everyone."

Alameda has been impressed with Beachum since she arrived as one of the Seminoles' top performers.

"She's been on fire since she's got here," Alameda said following the Nicholls doubleheader on Feb. 24. "At some point, we'll hit a little bit of a lull, but I think as a freshman people don't know much about you and then they start to scout you."

"She's pretty level-headed and an old soul. I like how she comes to work every day. She's got a very professional mindset."

Her adjustment to the college game was quick and she credits some of that with the shared mentality she had on her high school team at Florida High.

Beachum's senior year at Florida High went 18-6 and saw every member of its senior class sign a National Letter of Intent.

Beachum was one of three Division I signees on that team along with Maddie Mayo (Florida Atlantic) and Dillyn Suggs (Campbell), who is still on the team.

"We all had the same goal going into college. We didn't want to just take high school for granted," Beachum said. "We wanted to take every game and practice seriously so that way when we got to college, we could key in on the aspect of what we wanted to accomplish."

"She's an old soul"

Beachum had carried that professional, work-like demeanor from Southwood to Collegetown and it's left a lasting impression on her coaches and teammates.

"Jaysoni, as you guys know, is very calm, cool and collective," Alameda said. "She's a pretty old soul. She'll take her little smile and she'll keep working. She just loves softball and everything about it. She's a high achiever in that sense."

At the same time, there is an everlasting sense of excitement about taking the field at Graf. After spending years watching from the stands, Beachum knows that there's a smile on her parents' faces while she's on the field.

"There's always smiles on their faces no matter what the situation or outcome is," Bechum said. "Overall, just knowing all the work we put in these past couple of years, they just get to see it manifest now."

How to watch FSU softball vs. Duke

Who: No. 18 Florida State (17-6) vs. No. 4 Duke (20-1)

When: Friday, 6 p.m. at JoAnne Graf Field, Tallahassee, Fl.

TV: ACCNX

Jack Williams covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com or on X @jackgwilliams. 

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Jaysoni Beachum having breakout freshman season with FSU softball