RARE AIR

Whether hitting or pitching, Jackson Jobe does things on the field that few have seen

- ALEXIS BRUDNICKI

Wherever Jackson Jobe went this year, excitement followed.

As the centerpiece for Heritage Hall High, the 18-year-old helped lead his Oklahoma City team to playoffs, then to regionals and finally to a state championship. Jobe had an incredible regular season, then somehow found another gear in the final stretch.

As the Chargers’ starting shortstop, Jobe hit .469/.592/.927 in the heart of the lineup with seven home runs and 13 stolen bases in 32 games. On the mound, he went 9-0 with a 0.14 ERA and three complete games over 51.2 innings. He also struck out 122 and walked just five.

Those numbers led him not only to be named his team’s MVP, and then to become the third overall pick in the 2021 draft, selected by the Tigers, but the performance was also enough to help him win the Baseball America High School Player of the Year award.

“He obviously brings a lot of eyes and attention to our program, and we love having those special players come through who help us succeed and put championship banners on the wall and trophies in the cases,” Heritage Hall head coach Jordan Semore said. “That’s something you don’t find often, and Jackson was one of those guys who came in and completely turned things around for us.

“He was a guy we could really build around and put him in the middle of the lineup and let him do his thing, and with the (pitching) progression he had from junior to senior year, everything fell into place and was a special year for us.”