At first glance it’s easy to see why her Queen Creek High School teammates gravitate to senior pitcher/outfielder Julia Heitz. Her positive attitude and team-first mentality, paired with her being a four-year varsity player makes for a perfect match.
“She’s a leader here at Queen Creek,” head coach Stephanie Mejia said to Sports360AZ.com. “She already knows from freshman year to now, ‘hey, this is what coach likes, this is what coach wants.’ It’s nice because she gets to tell the younger kids.”
What Mejia and the QCHS softball community have liked is Heitz’s performance in the circle winning 31 of her 42 career starts while tallying close to 400 career strikeouts.
“Ive definitely improved my strikeouts per game,” Heitz explained to Sports360AZ.com when asked where she’s grown the most as a player. “I think that’s had a big [impact]. It just puts the other team down while boosting my team up so that’s a big part.”
While school and sports take up most of her time, she still finds balance in her life by enjoying the outdoors and the usually desirable Arizona temperatures.
“I like to go to the lake,” Heitz said. “We have jet skis. I like taking those out a lot. Spending time with my friends. The random Dutch Bros. [Coffee] trips. I like those a lot.”
She will leave Queen Creek with endless memories which will last a lifetime.
“Watching the team grow together as we progress in the season,” she said. “The games…especially the night games. Those are my favorite. We get super hype and everyone is excited. I never want it to end.”
Heinz’s success between the white lines has helped land her a scholarship to continue her academic and athletic career at Metropolitan State University in Denver.
“The coaches seem super cool and willing to help,” she said of her soon-to-be new staff. “They want to be there for you, especially when you’re away from home.”
One place Heitz is always at home is on a softball field.
She’s certainly proven that the last four years at Queen Creek.
