Jacqui Prober

In softball, there are five tools athletes need to succeed, according to Righetti High School senior Jacqui Prober: hitting for power; hitting for average; speed; a strong arm; and the ability to play a solid defense. 

“I think I’ve got a good balance of all five,” she said. 

UCLA thought so too. Jacqui recently signed her national letter of intent to play softball with the UCLA Bruins.

Jacqui said that from the beginning she’s wanted to play for UCLA, because of its strong athletic and academic programs. 

“When I realized I could play softball in college, that was always my No. 1 place to go,” she told the Sun. She said she looks forward to helping UCLA softball bring home more national championships. 

Growing up, Jacqui had sports all around her, she said. Her brothers played several sports, so when she was 5 years old, she got interested in playing sports as well. “We were just a very sports-driven family,” she said. 

Then when she was 9 years old, she realized she could have a career in softball, and that’s when she began to take the sport seriously. In her early teens, she began playing travel ball and driving to the San Jose area to play. That’s when the recruiting process began for her, she said. 

Jacqui played varsity softball for three years at Righetti and made first Team All-League each year. She credits her coaches, teammates, and friends for helping her to reach her softball goals.

Warriors head coach Mike Roberson praised Jacqui’s strong athletic and academic work ethics. “Jacqui is a very gifted student athlete, and there isn’t anything that she can’t do,” Roberson said in a press release. “She gives 100 percent all the time. I don’t think she has a second gear, it’s always full speed. I am very excited for her accomplishment and know there will be more to come.”

Most importantly, Jacqui said, she wanted to thank her family for standing behind her and helping her dream come true and instilling in her a love of the game.

She said she believes her athleticism, power, and quickness have been assets to her in the sport, as well as her love of competition. 

“I like the one-on-one battle. When you’re at the plate with the pitcher and batter. I like the competitiveness.” 

This article appears in Dec 3-10, 2015.