Softball season preview: Q & A with head coach Brian Hayes

Following the conclusion of the girls’ last preseason scrimmage, the Pahrump Valley Times sat down with Pahrump Valley High School varsity head coach Brian Hayes to catch up about the new season’s endeavors.

Slated to kick off the season in tournament play in Needles, Calif., Hayes said he’s excited to see where this group of talent leads.

Q: You tied one of the best programs in the state today. What did you see overall from your team? What did you like, and what still needs work?

Hayes: The biggest stride we made today was defensively. We’ve been moving pieces around, trying to figure out where everyone fits, and it was really good to see our defense make plays. In some earlier games, we didn’t even have many balls put in play. Today we did, and our girls stepped up. Our pitching kept us in the game the whole way, but the defense made plays behind our pitcher — that was a big plus.

Offensively, we’re close. We’ve been one hit away from breaking games open in scrimmages and tournaments. It was good to see us get that big hit today. We also saw girls doing their job — moving runners, playing small ball. Games like this are when that stuff matters.

Jaycie is clearly your front-runner for starting pitcher at the moment. Who else is currently competing for the No. 2 spot?

Right now, it’s pretty wide open. Evalenne Armendariz has the upper hand because she pitched there last year and has experience in big games.

We’re also working with April Ivy right now. We need development at that No. 2 spot so if we can develop some spin and get through a lineup once or twice before bringing Jaycie in, that’s a big advantage for us.

What’s the game plan when Jaycie isn’t on?

Honestly, she wasn’t on today. But the difference between a good pitcher and a really good pitcher is getting outs when you don’t have your best stuff. Her change-up was working, so we kept going to it. If she’s off, it might actually benefit our team because it forces us to make plays defensively. Last year, we had stretches where balls weren’t even put in play. That doesn’t make you better. We’re trying to prepare for teams that can really hit the ball.

Has it been challenging developing a catcher who just recently picked up the position?

Mariah has really grinded. She doesn’t miss practice. She’s only been catching since November, but sometimes she doesn’t look like she just picked it up.

We’ve kind of got a three-headed group with Madison, Mariah, and Evalenne that gives us flexibility. That’s been big for us.

How important are year-round reps to your program?

The fall was huge for us. It gave younger girls a chance to play and develop. We were able to mix and match competition levels depending on who we were playing. It’s about getting real reps against good teams. That’s how you grow.

You have three freshmen on the starting nine. How has that group looked?

We’ve got three freshmen starting — pitcher, shortstop, and first base — and they’re in big spots. We also have seven or eight more freshmen in the program. It’s a strong group. A lot of them have been there and done that in travel ball, so the moment isn’t too big for them.

Your preseason schedule has been very challenging. What was the idea behind scheduling so many strong programs this year?

This year, almost every game is a challenge — and that’s intentional. We want our defense to get real reps. We want to face good pitching. We’re looking at 30-plus legitimate games this season, and that’s going to prepare us for league and postseason play. But with this experience and the way the girls are responding, I think by late April or early May we’re going to be hitting the ball very well.

With potential division realignment coming in 2027, do you feel this team can consistently compete at the higher levels?

I honestly think 3A might be stronger than 4A this year. If you’re playing high-level softball, you have to have high-level pitching. That’s the key. We’ll evaluate any move based on long-term development of the program. We have to make sure we’re ready across the board.

Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.