Former Ceres High star athlete Jode Johnson played softball and basketball during her freshman year at William Jessup University.

"I had a lot of fun," she said.

Jode helped lead William Jessup's softball program to the Cal-Pac Conference regular season title in just its second year of existence.

The Lady Warriors fell two wins shy of qualifying for Nationals.

"We surprised everybody," Jode said. "Nobody thought we'd get that far. I'm proud of what we accomplished."

Johnson was named California-Pacific Conference Freshman of the Year in a vote by the league's coaches.

"It showed me I really did make a difference," said Jode, who hit .374 with two homers, one triple, four doubles, 16 RBIs, 31 runs and eight stolen bases in 30 games. "I just tried my hardest."

Johnson started in right field and batted leadoff. She committed just three errors.

"I've always played an infield position," Jode said. "It was a huge change for me. I did pretty well out there. It didn't matter where I played. I just wanted to be out on the field. I'm grateful for that."

Jode was Ceres High's go-to player in basketball for three seasons.

She contributed off the bench at William Jessup.

"It was a different role," Johnson said. "I saw how everything was run. It made me more grounded."

Jode, a 5-foot-9 forward, totaled 113 points, 60 rebounds, 17 assists, 10 steals and one block in 30 games. She scored a career-high 14 points in an 82-52 loss to Oregon Tech.

The Lady Warriors made team history by tallying 13 wins and tying for second place in the Cal-Pac Conference standings.

Johnson will vie for more playing time as a sophomore. She needs to improve her jump shot.

"I'm already working out for next year," Jode said.