California native leading Coyotes at the plate

By Rick Mauch 

Coming from a family that loves diamond sports, it was destiny that Prya Burns was going to play, so why waste time?

And, sure enough, she started playing at the young age of 5 years old.

"I immediately loved playing. It became a lifestyle to me, so I never played any other sports," the Weatherford College softball standout said. "I played every year, going to tournaments and traveling everywhere. 

"It was always on the grind when it came to high school straight to travel ball. Softball has brought so many opportunities. That's why I love it so much. It's a really big deal for me, and I always want to do my best."

And indeed, the Visalia, California, product is doing just that. At the time of this article, she was leading the Coyotes in several hitting categories, including home runs (13), RBI (38) and total bases (86). She was second on the team in batting average (.336), slugging percentage (.723) and extra-base hits (20, half of her total hits).

"She has had some huge hits and home runs for us and is a consistent presence in the middle of our lineup," said Coyotes coach Haylee Williams. "We are extremely pleased she will be returning next year."

And all of this while recovering from an injury in the fall.

"I got hurt at the end of the fall. I had torn my labrum muscle and will have to get surgery this summer, so I am currently out on throwing, but I still got the chance to DH," she said. "My injury gave me time to focus on my hitting, so I'm able to help my team at the plate.

"I usually hit for average, but my power will always present itself at the end of the day. I mainly try to stay consistent, but also try to hit the ball as hard as I can."

And for much of that, she is thankful for her family connection.

"A big factor to my hitting is my parents. They taught me a lot and made me the player I am now, so most of my success goes to them," she said.

"My mom played volleyball, softball and basketball. She played at College of the Sequoias and was a state champion in softball in 1994. My dad was a catcher at College of the Sequoias where he then got drafted by the Boston Red Sox but decided to transfer to Fresno State. My little brother is a sophomore on the varsity baseball team at Mission Oak High School in Tulare, California."

Burns played at Redwood High School in Visalia all four years in high school. As a sophomore, she hit .367, with 127 hits, 77 RBI and 12 home runs, earning her a place on the first-team All-West Yosemite League. In her junior year, her team won the Division 2 Valley championship as she averaged .330. In her senior year, she averaged a whopping .467 batting, along with 18 doubles, eight home runs and 26 RBI, again earning first-team all-league honors.

"Playing four years on varsity really helped me get ready to play at the collegiate level," she said. 

Then, thanks to COVID-19, her original freshman season at WC was cut short. Like others, she was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NJCAA.

"It really affected me with COVID because our season was canceled, and it was my first year and I didn't get the experience of playing conference at the college level," Burns said. "This year motivated me to keep playing—and play like it's my last because you never know if it will affect us again."

Burns is majoring in psychology and wants to take it into criminology.

"It's so interesting to be able to work in that field and solve the crimes," she said. "I want to thank WC for all they have done for me, and I'm truly blessed to be playing and able to follow my dreams."