SAN ANTONIO – When Jaylen Prichard was looking for a new home after playing two seasons at Eastern Illinois, she was in search of a program and a coach that matched her toughness and competitive mindset.
She found exactly what she sought following the 2023 season when she spoke to Vann Stuedeman, UTSA’s newly hired softball coach, who brought with her an impressive track record of success at Alabama, Mississippi State and Illinois.
Once on the scene in San Antonio, Stuedeman has been determined to build a program that competes for championships and is a regular participant in NCAA Tournament play.
During Prichard’s sophomore season at Eastern Illinois, the Panthers won the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament and played in an NCAA Regional. Prichard’s sacrifice fly in the 2023 OVC Championship game scored the final run for her team. She knows what it looked like to play at a high level.
“One of my former hitting coaches that I really trusted really believed in Vann and everything she said about Vann was what I wanted,” Prichard said. “I got to experience that level of play, going to a Regional, and Vann wanted that here. On the phone call with her, she asked me to come here to be a leader and that really stood out to me. I feel like I have invested in that role of being a leader. I may not be very vocal, but I lead by my actions and she trusts me with that.”
Prichard, a 5-foot-2 utility player, hails from the Southeast Texas town of Liberty and she was eager for the opportunity to play close to home.
“I’m a really big family person, so to be able to have my family come see me play, I’m really grateful for it,” Prichard says.
Very early in her tenure, Stuedeman introduced the team’s motto of #PluckEm, which embodies the grit of the Roadrunner. (You can watch this video for Stuedeman’s full explanation of #PluckEm).
Thanks to a gift from her mother, Prichard sports a #PluckEm sleeve on her right arm when she plays. It serves as a constant reminder of all the traits she brings to the field.
“I like it because I’m a really gritty player,” Prichard said. “I don’t like to lose. Having that on my arm and then having the other team ask me about it. It’s just funny when I’m standing on second and they ask me what it means. And I’m like, ‘The ball to the fence, that’s what it means. I just plucked your team.’ Growing up, I was just told to be gritty. Coming to UTSA and Vann making it a brand, I really liked it and I like to flex it.”
Prichard is one of her team’s top hitters this season, starting all 13 games and boasting a .342 batting average. She has driven in a team-best eight runs and has helped the Roadrunners to a historic 9-4 start on the year. The confidence with which she’s been able to play in 2025 has been a major factor in her success.
“During my at-bats, I get a little spicy,” she said. “Being humble in my thoughts really helped that, but being able to flex it when I can is really nice.”
Her coach believes that Prichard embodies everything about the team’s motto.
“She can flex it,” Stuedeman said. “She is the definition of #PluckEm. She is gritty.”
And it’s possible that there’s one other reason that Prichard is a perfect fit for UTSA.
“I also look good in orange,” she quipped.