One of the toughest and most resilient athletes on Georgia Impact Premier - Lewis is junior Zoe Laneaux. Playing in the shadows of teammates who received more press and attention, she could have succumbed to the pressure of trying to live up to someone else’s expectations. But she didn’t. She persevered and thrived.

Laneaux plays third base for Impact who won the 2018 PGF 18U Premier National Championship. Their crew of coaches has been developing top-ranked athletes like Savannah Stewart, Skylar Wallace, Riley Blampied, and many more over the last decade.

“The recruiting process for me was really stressful,” she said. “I wasn’t getting the interest my teammates were getting and I was worried that I wasn’t going to get any offers.

Then Mississippi State called and a visit ensued. Laneaux fell in love with the family atmosphere and committed to the Bulldogs’ program.

“I love the coaches and players, and I love how the coaches are like the players’ parents away from home and the players are like sisters,” she noted. “It was very important to me to make the decision to commit because it took a lot of the stress off, and allowed me to only focus on getting better at the game. Once I committed, my game improved drastically in many aspects.”

Good thing her dad Jamari raised her to always welcome competition.

“There have been several girls since she’s been on the team the past five years that have come to compete for her position, but she’s always raised her game,” he said. “The only real pressure she felt was regarding her recruiting process.”

 The future Bulldog admits being very artistic, In her spare time, she likes to draw and paint a lot, and prides herself in designing things. That’s why she is planning to major in Graphic Design in college.

“My freshman year I took a graphic design class because I knew I was interested in majoring in that field and ended up really enjoying that class and did really well in it,” she said.

It Runs In The Family

Her first love wasn’t always softball. When she was five she played soccer. Her parents told her she wasn’t the best on the field, although she says she was the best one out there. One day they signed her up for tee ball.  

“In my first season I played in pitcher’s circle, and my dad never let me hit off of the tee,” Laneaux told us.

Athletic ability runs in the family. Her mom played volleyball and ran track while her dad did baseball, soccer and track and field. Her younger sister Jadyn is only an eighth grader but has already committed to play softball at LSU. 

“Zoe is one of Jadyn’s biggest fans and helps me with her hitting technique when I take them to the field,” her dad Jamari said.” The girls are extremely close! They’ll get to play in high school together for just one year next fall.”

The older Laneaux describes her travel ball team as goofy and animated which makes playing the sport she loves, also a lot of fun. She adds that because they are all so talented playing with them pushes her to do her best at all times. 

“I know anyone can take my spot if I let up. I also know that any of them will hold me accountable if I am not giving my best effort.”

For now, her focus has shifted to her high school team, Pope High School, located just north of Atlanta. The season started off really slow for her because she came straight from travel ball. Walks were commonplace and frustration set in, but lately, she’s been pitched to and the difficult part of the season is upon them.

“We just made it through a few really intense battles vs. Creekview in the first round of the state playoffs,” she said. “We have a really good chance of making it to the state championship.”

Winning a state title at Pope is just one of the many goals for this rising star and that is thinking beyond the fall and into her softball future.

“I want my travel team to win the national championship,” she added. My long-term goals are to become an All American in college and make the Olympic softball team.”

Getting To Know Zoe

Which shows are you currently binge watching on Netflix?

I am currently watching Dexter, and American Horror Story. I also watch Friends all the time even though I finished it.

 What are my favorite pump up songs? 

Right now, Drip Too Hard by Lil Baby and Gunna, or Pedestrian by Gunna.

Do you have a favorite motivational quote?

My favorite quote is something one of my teammates said to us before a tournament. “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up. You pave your own way to greatness.”

Do you have any pet peeves or superstitions?

I do. Stepping on the line is a pet peeve and superstition. Also, I hate when the bats are crossed. My biggest pet peeve and superstition is when someone puts their hand in MY glove.

What athletes do you look up to?

When I was younger I was a slapper and was a huge Alabama softball fan, so I looked up to Jennifer Fenton and Kayla Braud because they always found a way to get on the bases. Then as I started hitting away more, I really liked Haylie McCleney because she was a slapper and power hitter. Now I really look up to Aleshia Ocasio because of her versatility on the field.

 Do you have a favorite memory during your travel ball and high school career?

My favorite travel ball memory is when we went to Las Vegas for a tournament. We rode around in a limo the first day from the airport and the whole experience was so much fun. We also played really well and made it to the championship game, which we got completely destroyed in, but none of us were really that upset because no one expected us to make it that far. My favorite memory for high school ball was last year in Columbus for the state tournament. I roomed with my really good friend and teammate. Even though it didn’t result in what we hoped for, I still enjoyed it. 

What are your strengths and weaknesses on the field?

I think my biggest strength is my discipline, and patience at the plate. I get behind in the count early most of the time which I think is one of my biggest weaknesses, but I am able to draw a lot of walks, and most of my hits come from an 0-2 or 1-2 count. Also, I work on hitting pitches that are not necessarily strikes, so when I am facing a really competitive pitcher who tries to make you chase, I can get a hit. Another weakness is sometimes I should be more aggressive on balls in the hole because the shortstop is not always going to get there to make the out in time.

 What do you love most about playing third base?

What I love most about playing third is that I have no time to think, I had to learn to just react. If I had more time to think, I think I would have made a lot more errors in the past.