Coach John O’Connor remembers looking for a spot to play JJ Wagoner early on in her softball days at Napa High School.

He remembers one day in particular, hitting grounder after grounder to Wagoner during infield practice. The defensive session didn’t tire her out.

“She dove and she dove and she dove,” said O’Connor. “I was so inspired when she got done. I’ll never forget it.”

Wagoner recalls telling her coach that day, “I want to play. Put me wherever.”

Wagoner, a senior and the Player of the Year on the 2007 All-Napa County team, not only has all the tools to play defense as the Indians’ catcher. She also swings a very good bat and is a leader on the field.

“She’s everything a coach could ever want,” said O’Connor. “Anytime you talk about JJ, you have to talk in superlatives. She’s the best catcher I’ve ever had. She’s a great student. She’s a great athlete. She has a fabulous work ethic. She’s a great team player. It’s nothing but superlatives. Anything less doesn’t describe her.”

Wagoner, who also plays ASA travel ball, will take the next step in her athletic career, joining the UC Davis softball team in 2009. She signed a national letter-of-intent Sunday night to play for Davis, an NCAA-Division I Big West Conference school, on a scholarship. The Aggies are coached by Karen Yoder, a Napa resident.

“Ever since I was little, softball’s been kind of like a business that has been going to the next level, whether it’s high school or gold ball or college,” said Wagoner, 17. “I’m just excited to finally get there.

“I wanted to go to Davis in the beginning, because they have good academics. That’s what I’m really looking forward to. Softball’s taught me life skills. With the academics there, it’s a good match. It’s a great opportunity to play D-I softball for a great coach. You’re a part of something — just like what Napa High’s all about, school and unity. I’m excited about that.”

Wagoner has done very good work, both offensively and defensively, at Napa.

“(Coach O’Connor) has taught me how to play defense,” she said. “You have to control your pitcher, you have to keep her in her mental game.”

As a freshman, she batted .314 with two doubles and six RBIs. Playing first base, she had 24 assists, 112 putouts and a .971 fielding percentage. She was named the Napa County Newcomer of the Year.

As a sophomore, she hit .430 with three doubles, three triples, a home run and 17 RBIs. She was named All-Monticello Empire League.

Last year, she had a .291 batting average with six doubles, a home run and 20 RBIs as Napa went 26-6 overall, including a 3-2 mark in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs. Defensively, she had a .962 fielding percentage. She was named All-League.

In her last 54 games for Napa, she has had only two passed balls, none during the 2008 season.

“She’s intelligent, she’s got a great arm, she blocks the ball tremendously well,” said O’Connor. “She’s the anchor to the defense, she guides the defense, she’s always calling out the plays — she’s always right.

“People gravitate toward a person that is knowledgeable and works hard, is a team player and is just a brilliant athlete.”

Wagoner has made her mark on the Indians program. According to O’Connor, she’ll be one of the best overall players to ever came out of Napa.

As a catcher, she has a gun for an arm. She has the instincts as well, anticipating when a base runner is going to steal. She’s an extension of the staff, working with coaches as they call pitches.

“She’s got every skill that you need,” said O’Connor. “She reads the defense perfectly. She blocks the ball. She hits tremendously well.

“There are intangibles that go into making a great player. It’s not always the person that is physically the biggest. It’s the intangibles of leadership, the intangibles of intelligence, the intangibles of guiding the team and commanding respect from the team without ever asking for it. Those are the things that make a tremendous ballplayer. And that’s what Davis will find out that they got.”

Wagoner has played Gold-level softball for different travel teams, reaching nationals in Oklahoma City in 2007 for All-American Sports Academy.

This past summer she played for the Sacramento Breeze. In 2006 she played for the San Ramon-based Sorcerer, which finished fourth at nationals.

“I’m very proud of her. She works tremendously hard,” said Jack Wagoner, JJ’s father, who played football as a strong safety for NHS. “We don’t really have to say much to her. She does it on her own. She takes care of academics first. That’s her pride. She has this drive in her — I really don’t know how to explain it.

“She’s been lucky along the way to play for a lot of great people. There’s been a lot of good friends that have come along the way to help her out. She’s really done well for herself. She’s really motivated. Her family’s extremely excited.”

It’s a big step that Wagoner will take when she makes the move to Davis, which went 24-36 overall last year. Sarah O’Neill, a Vintage graduate, wrapped up her UCD softball career last year, earning All-Big West Honorable Mention honors.

“It’s going to be your hard work and your dedication that is going to allow you to play,” said Wagoner, who also plays volleyball for the Indians as a defensive specialist and carries a 4.17 GPA. “You’ve got to hit and you’ve got to play defense.

“I’ve been taught a good work ethic. It is going to be a big jump, but I’m up for the challenge. I love having competition. It’s what makes me better and it’s what makes other people better, too. I just like going out there and trying to prove myself.”

Last year was Davis’ first official season as a member of Division I and the Big West.

Yoder came to Davis from Napa Valley College, where she served as head coach during the 2003 and 2004 seasons, compiling a 45-40 mark. She led Napa to the Bay Valley Conference title in her first season, earning BVC Coach of the Year honors.