High school softball: Elyria Catholic's Jessica Conner gets All-American honors

Over 300,000 girls play fastpitch softball in the United States each year. Elyria Catholic junior Jessica Conner was one of only 13 to be a first-team All-American. For the third year in a row, Conner earned All-American honors when the National Fastpitch Coaches Association released its All-American teams Tuesday. It was the first time Conner was on the first team after being a third-team selection the past two seasons. "I was obviously really excited. I was also really surprised I got first team. I'm really proud of myself," Conner said. "Right after I found out about this, it kinda hit me, 'Wow, I am actually this good.' A bunch of people get All-Ohio but this is a whole country thing so it's kinda crazy to think about." Conner's 2026 statistics read like something from a video game. She hit for a .642 average with 70 hits, 60 runs, 60 RBIs, nine home runs, 18 doubles and four triples. Elyria Catholic softball coach and athletic director Jim Piazza believes its the first time a Lorain County player ever had that many hits, runs and RBIs in a season. "If you look at her numbers this year, they are just absolutely phenomenal," Piazza said. "She's the type of player who's never satisfied. If she goes 3-for-4 in a game and gets out once, she's not satisfied. She wants to work on her craft and make sure she goes 4-for-4." Conner had at least one hit and scored in each of the Panthers' 29 games. She had one or more extra-base hits in 23 of those games. "When I'm warming up to hit, I always try to focus on getting a big hit so even if I don't meet that goal I might still get a single," Conner said. "My mindset is always to get an extra-base hit and be as productive as I can for my team." Over her first three high school seasons, Conner has shown both the physical and mental attributes needed to succeed at the highest level. "She has the best hand-eye coordination I've seen in a long time and she hits the ball so hard. When she hits the ball it has a different sound," Piazza said. "I think a lot of her growth has been in understanding the game a little bit more, being more selective at the plate. She has really gotten better at the mental part of the game." The one thing Conner wants to do in her final season at Elyria Catholic is bring the school its first state title. "It's my last year and me and my teammates have decided we're gonna take the lead and push everyone more because that's our main goal as a team, everyone wants to go to state," Conner said. In the meantime, there's a lot of hard work ahead for Conner as she tries to maintain and surpass the standard she's set for herself in her first three high school seasons. "I feel like this year I put in a lot more work than I did in the past," Conner said. "I would constantly stay after practice with Coach Piazza to get extra hitting reps and do extra work. I know I have to continue that." Piazza, who has coached his share of elite talent during his time at Keystone, expects Conner will be able to find another gear during her senior season. "I'm really excited to see what's next for Jessica," Piazza said. "When you get honors like this you start thinking, 'I've gotta top this or match it.' Every year she's challenged herself to be better than the year before." Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.