Palo Verde softball star named Nevada Preps Girls Athlete of the Year

Palo Verde softball star Taylor Johns had already established herself as the state’s top player after her first two seasons.

She continued her tear as the best player in the state as a junior this season while helping her team make history.

Johns hit .642 with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs to help lead the Panthers to a 25-0 season and the Class 5A state title.

Palo Verde became the first official undefeated state softball champion with its 7-3 win in the 5A state title game at UNR on May 17, according to known records by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association.

Johns’ stellar season earned her the honor of being named the Nevada Preps Girls Athlete of the Year. She was also named the Gatorade and MaxPreps state softball player of the year.

“We weren’t really expecting (a perfect season),” said Johns, who is committed to play college softball at Georgia. “We knew that we were going to be good, but we expected (it to be like) the last two seasons where we were good and weren’t really great, but this year was definitely very cool.”

‘More confident’

Johns hit better than .400 in her freshman and sophomore seasons as Palo Verde reached the state tournaments in 2023 and 2024, but the Panthers failed to reach the state title game either season.

This season, with most of its team back from 2024, Palo Verde ran through a tough 5A Mountain League and won the 5A Southern Region title. Johns was named the 5A Mountain League co-MVP.

“Nobody really took this season for granted,” Johns said. “We all had a lot of fun this season. Every single game, everybody gave their best. Every game was really fun and very memorable in its own way.”

At UNR for the state tournament, nothing rattled Palo Verde. Not the Northern competition, or a wild weather day in the state title game with rain, wind, cool temperatures and a nearly half-hour lightning delay.

“We were all just trying to stay very calm and collected even though it was all very exciting,” Johns said. “We didn’t want to live on the highs too much. We tried to stay confident in the season we had already put together and kept going.”

Johns led the state with a 1.522 slugging percentage, tied for third in the state with 11 homers and posted a .703 on-base percentage. Johns said this year she stepped into more of a leadership role as an upperclassman and felt more confident by trusting herself and knowing her teammates had her back.

“Going into every game knowing that I’m going to get the best pitches, I really enjoyed it, because if I do win, I actually beat them with their best,” Johns said. “It makes me feel a little bit more confident and that my team can put something together because they all have my back.”

Adding to legacy

Johns comes from a family with a history on the diamond. Her mother, Dena, was a standout college softball player at UNLV and helped the Rebels reach the Women’s College World Series.

“She’s very supportive and she’s able to talk me through things that I might not understand yet because she’s been through all of it,” Johns said.

Her father, Matt, played college baseball at UNR, and her older brother, Tanner, starred on Palo Verde’s baseball team and will play college baseball at Grand Canyon.

Taylor Johns said it was very competitive in her household growing up, but she felt plenty of support from her entire family.

“Me and my brother are still very competitive with everything we do,” Johns said. “This year we had a home run competition going on, so that was pretty cool. My dad and my mom are very good at helping me and him through whatever because they’ve been there and are very supportive.”

Johns was sought after by many power conference college teams. She said she took visits to Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Clemson, but said Georgia felt like “home.”

“Everything about it felt right,” Johns said. “The coaches were so welcoming. The girls were so welcoming. I felt like they could be my best friends, and it was amazing. They got a new facility, and it was really cool.”

Palo Verde will be a heavy favorite to repeat in 2026 with Johns leading the Panthers’ returners.

“We want to make another undefeated run,” she said. “We’re aiming for that, but a state championship again would be so cool.”

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.