JAYE BARNOSKI

MUSKOGEE HIGH SCHOOL

It takes special players to help turn a program around and Muskogee High senior Jaye Barnoski is one of those players. In two of the three years she has started at shortstop for the Roughers, Muskogee has had winning seasons.

“She’s an amazing five tool softball player and the hardest worker on the team but also an incredible young lady,” said her coach Marc Dicus. 

This summer she was part of a travel team that won the USSSA U16 national championship and she was named the tournament MVP. You’ve got to think that some of her success is in the genes. One of her role models is her cousin Hayleigh Galvan who played at Sequoyah Tahlequah, went on to Fresno State and is now a graduate assistant coach at NSU.

“She was the first one in our family to play D-1 ball. She had a great work ethic and overcame a lot of adversity to become successful and show the rest of us that it was possible,” said Jaye who is also involved in FCA and the National Honor Society at MHS.

There’s her brother Aiden who graduated from Muskogee High last spring and will play baseball at Seminole State this coming year. Her stepsister, Riley, had a stellar high school career at Hilldale and went on to play at Seminole and Jaye tells a story of when the two of them met on the diamond.

“We played each other when she was a senior and I was a freshman and we still talk about it,” said Jaye. “Just about every time she batted, she hit the ball to me and I threw her out. She got on once and tried to steal on Karsyn (York, MHS catcher) and I took the throw at second and tagged her out. She was so mad after that game,” laughed Jaye.

The 2024 season could be the best in a while for the Roughers and it’s bittersweet for Jaye.

“I’m excited about this upcoming season but I’m sad that it’s my last year. This program is definitely turning around and I’m happy to see that.”