lefty ace with power stuff, big-game poise, and portal heat
In the 2026 season at LSU, Jayden Heavener was the Tigers’ workhorse left-hander, going 13-9 with a 2.81 ERA, 128 strikeouts, 16 complete games, and five shutouts across 139.1 innings. She was also named to the 2026 NFCA Gulf All-Region First Team and spent time on USA Softball’s Top 50 Watch List, which says plenty about her ceiling[1][6][8]. Why care? She brings frontline pitching, SEC-tested strikeout ability, and a proven ability to miss bats in pressure spots—enough that Texas Tech reportedly landed her as one of the top arms in the transfer portal[3][9].
