I Committed: Cadence Jarrett’s Long Journey to Trevecca Nazarene

At nine years old, Cadence Jarrett realized that she was physically smaller than her teammates.

Because of this, one of her coaches suggested she switch from the right side of the plate and try her hand at slapping—a daunting challenge, but one Cadence is so grateful she took on.

“This took some time and definitely came with some struggles, but no matter how bad it went, my coaches stuck with me. I was usually the lead off batter because I was fast and consistently got on base, though I didn’t have the power that other girls did because I was still much smaller,” shared the athlete. “I was never moved me down in the lineup and Coach Andy kept it positive so that I didn’t get discouraged as I was learning to slap. I can’t say enough how important that was for my development.”

Although she experienced some setbacks related to her smaller stature during middle school, Cadence kept working hard to grow her strength and speed as a slapper, and was ready to take the field as a starter during her eighth-grade season. However, this dream was derailed by the pandemic, which meant Cadence would have to wait a little bit for her time on the dirt.

“I was heartbroken, not only because the season was over, but I knew when I got to high school I had the much bigger, and older girls ahead of me and I would have to wait for my chance again,” Cadence said. “I really went to work that off-season and moved to playing travel ball with Fury Premier. I had always worked hard because I felt like I had something to prove. This season was different though. I worked in the back yard nearly everyday on hitting, arm strength with my dad, and started playing against the best competition I could find.”

At this stage in her career, Cadence began developing primarily as an outfielder, as this was the position she enjoyed the most and excelled at.

“Cadence is an aggressive, feisty player, and that’s what I love about her,” shared Fury coach, India Chiles. “She goes 100% on every play and not a game goes by where she’s not diving for balls or making incredible plays in the outfield.”

As a freshman at Green Hill High School, Cadence started in left field, consistently showcasing her speed and athleticism for the Hawks.

“After sophomore year, coaches really started to take notice and I started getting phone calls,” shared the athlete. “I had colleges from different levels reaching out to me and my coaches. By that fall, I was taking visits and really thinking about what I wanted in a college experience.”

She began taking hitting lessons at the Marc Weekly Hitting Academy, which helped her develop power at the plate, in addition to her existing skills as a slapper.

“Coach Marc changed the game for me,” Cadence commented. “For the first time since I was about 10 or 11 years old I started standing in and swinging away, not just slapping something to the left side of the field. He helped me to read a defense and make my approach to the plate more about what the defense was giving me and not just doing what was comfortable.”

According Coach Chiles, the student-athlete’s recruiting process was like a breath of fresh air, as she knew exactly where she wanted to go—and was more than prepared to do everything she could to make it a reality.

“I knew a little bit about Trevecca growing up because my nana went there and talked about how much she loved it,” shared Cadence. “It always sounded like a great place.”

The outfielder, now competing with the Tennessee Mojo, announced her commitment in December last year, after a years-long effort at earning a spot on Trevecca Nazarene University’s roster in the fall of 2024.

“I started sending emails to Coach Ben Tyree in the 8th grade, and went to my first camp there freshman year. From that moment on I knew that I wanted to be a Trojan,” recalled the athlete. “They were so welcoming and showed that they cared about me not only as an athlete but a person and a student. When I went to that camp, I saw the coaches treat the team like family. It was much more than softball.”

At the end of this first camp, the coaching staff hosted a Q&A and were very transparent and informative in their responses, which helped Cadence feel more comfortable during the early stages of her recruitment process.

Year after year, the athlete has returned to the Nashville campus for camps, and appreciated how during each of these concluding sessions, Coach Tyree’s answers never changed, which grew her fondness of the program.

“Through each year, even with new players, the team always talked about how close they were and how much they liked it there. They were always genuine and honest responses.”

Cadence expressed gratitude to Coach Chiles and Coach Lyons for their role in her recruitment process, as well as the development of her now-elite game IQ.

“They really showed me a great example of what this game could bring if I put in the work and helped me focus on my future ahead.”

A few weeks later, Cadence received an offer from her dream school.

“We just worked towards Trevecca,” recalled Coach Chiles, who had a heavy hand in the athlete’s recruitment process. “She did her part, chasing that tunnel-focused goal that was very realistic for her, and she knocked it out of the park.”

After taking a more in-depth visit to the campus, as she had explored it many times before, and taking some time to make sure this was exactly what she wanted in a college softball program, as well as an academic institution, Cadence accepted Trevecca’s offer while in Coach Tyree’s office.

“I had never been more sure of anything in my life,” shared the outfielder. “Junior season came around and the weight of the world was off my shoulders. My decision was made. I knew where I would spend some of the best years of my life and it was time to go to work.”

The following season, the Green Hill Hawks went 44-2 on the season and won the TSSAA Div-1 4A State Championship, and Cadence was selected to the District 9 4A All-District team, the Tennessean All-MidState team, and the Main Street Preps All-MidState team. She also led the team in batting average, on-base percentage, stolen bases, and holds a Tennessee record for runs scored, which she attributes to some great bats behind her, as she leads off the Hawks’ lineup.

“Since committing, the staff at Trevecca has done nothing but show me time and time again that I made the right decision,” said Cadence. “We text back and forth constantly, sometimes about softball and sometimes just about life and school. When my high school team made it to the post-season, there was many nights I could look up in the stands and see them there smiling. Seeing them never made me nervous, it just felt like my cheering section got a little bigger. I knew they weren’t there to judge every move I made, they were there to support me in our State Title run. Joining the Trojan family is a dream come true and I have no doubt TNU is the perfect fit for me.”

Cadence appreciates the faith-focused aspect of Trevecca, as well as its proximity to her family.

“I have such a great relationship with my parents and two younger siblings. Staying close to them was always something I valued and knowing that I will have their support at all of my home games means the world to me.”

Cadence will graduate from Green Hill High School in the spring of 2024 and will take the field with the Trojans. She plans to wear #3 and study occupational therapy.

— Regan Weekly/Extra Inning Softball

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