2026 Recruit Jaida Pinkins Takes A Swing At The Ivy League

Jaida Pinkins decided to take a chance and send an email to Harvard head softball coach Jenny Rohn expressing her interest in the program. Pinkins was a standout student in the classroom, but the 2026 recruit from Thomasville, Georgia was still unsure if she would be able to play for an Ivy League program.

“Not until I got the response from Coach Rohn did I think it was really possible,” Pinkins said. “It’s always been one of those things that kind of felt unreal until it actually became real. But now I can definitely see it.”

After being invited to attend a camp in December, Pinkins committed to Harvard. She visited the campus and surrounding city the day before the camp started and knew she found the right place.

“I honestly just love everything about Harvard, the city, and the coaches,” she said. “Coach Rohn and her staff are quite literally amazing. I really feel like they are true, genuine people that are interested in me as a person, just as much as me as a player.”

Pinkins grew up playing just about every sport, including softball, track, tennis and swimming. Her parents were both athletes at the University of South Carolina. Her mom ran track and her dad played football. Both coached sports once they graduated.

Pinkins experimented with different positions in softball once she first started playing at age 9. She started off at first base before being moved to third base because of her strong arm. She also tried playing catcher, but she “wasn’t really a fan.”

“Then, in middle school, I got moved to the outfield, because of my speed, agility, ball skills, and being able to track things,” said Pinkins, who plays travel ball for Lady Dukes Mayfield. “That’s where I kind of fell in love with the outfield, and I’ve been there ever since.”

At the plate, Pinkins is a three-dimensional lefty who slaps, bunts, and swings away.

“I’m extremely aggressive and determined when I’m hitting,” she said. “I’m not the type to get down in the count and be ready to give up. I’m gonna fight, and I’m pretty consistent at the plate, as far as getting on base. I’m gonna find a way on base.”

Although softball is her main sport, Pinkins has remained a multi-sport athlete. She participates in four sports—softball, flag football, basketball, and track. She was a first-team all-area selection in flag football and a second-team all-region selection in basketball this season. 

Her daily schedule is packed with practices and games that she needs to juggle.

“Honestly, it’s just a matter of discipline and focus,” she said. “I’m passionate about all the things, so I’ve never really thought, ‘Oh, I am not really feeling this today, or not really feeling that.’ I just keep working hard and keep the end goal in mind on all of it.”

Pinkins enjoys the variety all the different sports provide. She’s able to use different muscles and establish relationships with different teammates. It also gives her a mental break from focusing on just one thing all the time.

“Obviously, rest and recovery is important,” Pinkins said. “But I honestly just love everything that I do and being competitive so much that I think it’s really good for me to just stay busy and stay in shape year-round.”

Pinkins plans to major in biomedical engineering in college. She has a 4.6 GPA and has been a straight-A student her entire life.

“If I get a B on a test, it stresses me out completely,” she said. “I just really love the feeling of being able to excel academically and athletically.”

As her college future starts to become more realistic, Pinkins has already envisioned being a part of the Harvard softball program.

“I love what they’re doing over there,” she said. “They won the Ivy League last year, and they’re looking to grow and continue to build on that, and I could see myself really being a part of that.”