Tallahassee trio part of Alabama's baseball success, journey to CWS
· Yahoo Sports
As a youth baseball player in Tallahassee, Jason Jackson cheered for Florida State during what felt like an annual trip to the College World Series, when the Seminoles made seven appearances in the 1990s.
"Every kid grows up watching the CWS and wanting to be part of it," Jackson told the Tallahassee Democrat. "I remember being on the edge of my seat watching every pitch of those FSU teams back in the day. I am really excited to get out there and see our guys compete on that stage."
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Jackson, now in his ninth season as Alabama’s pitching coach and third as associate head coach — including a stint as the program’s interim head coach in 2023 — has helped guide the Crimson Tide back to the College World Series for the first time since 1999.
Alabama opens play in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament Saturday against fellow SEC opponent Oklahoma at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Crimson Tide won two-of-three to clinch the regular-season series at Oklahoma April 2-4.
Jackson is one of three Tallahassee-area products in the program, joining senior catcher and leading hitter Brady Neal (North Florida Christian/IMG Academy) and freshman Hayden McNeil (Maclay).
Jason Jackson a key part of Alabama's success
Jackson was raised in Havana, just outside of Tallahassee, and pitched at Florida High. He received a bachelors and Master’s degrees from FSU after a two-year playing career at Tallahassee State College and Santa Fe Junior College. Fellow Florida High alums David Ross (two-time World Series champion and former Chicago Cubs manager) and Link Jarrett (FSU head coach) are among his closest friends.
"So pumped for the Tallahassee connections going to Omaha," said Ross, who played in the CWS with two different teams (Auburn and Florida). "Most excited for Jason, of course. He’s been my closest friend since we were little and going to Florida High. He has been in baseball a long time and has help that Alabama program get to where it’s now headed to the CWS. He’s a great baseball guy, but a better man.
"Anytime you see a local headed to such a special place, you feel a lot of pride."
Jackson and the Crimson Tide (42-19) are scheduled to depart for Omaha, Nebraska, Wednesday, June 10. Alabama, in search of its first national title in baseball, is riding a five-game win streak into the CWS after sweeping home regional and super regional games.
Neal, in his second season at Alabama after he transferred from LSU, has played a major role in the Crimson Tide's success. He is hitting a team-best .330 has reached base in seven straight games and owns a six-game hitting streak. The left-handed hitting Neal is 9-for-24 (.375) with one double, three home runs, 11 RBI, three walks and two-hit-by-pitches over his last six games as well.
"We loved Brady when he was in high school but he ended up choosing LSU," Jackson said. "I think that relationship and being from same hometown helped make the decision easy for him when he went into the portal. Seeing him turn into the player he has been this year has been awesome. Not only has he made huge impact from a performance standpoint but he’s grown so much as a leader. So much of that comes from his amazing parents. He’s a huge part of our team culture."
Devon Travis, a former MLB and FSU player who serves as a baseball analyst for ESPN, was on the broadcast team during No. 7 national seed Alabama's Super Regional sweep of St. John's. He was impressed by the Crimson Tide's reliable and deep starting rotation, anchored by pitchers like Tyler Fay and Zane Adams.
"Coming into this Super without ever seeing Alabama play, in solely looking at their overall numbers made it puzzling to figure out exactly how they are the No. 7 overall seed," Travis told the Democrat. "However, it took just two games to quickly understand: their starting pitching is elite. Their bullpen trio is rock solid. In an era where the best bullpen guys are flamethrowers, they feature three guys that just come in and execute pitches. The entire staff just doesn’t walk guys and I think that’s an overlooked stat in the postseason."
Alabama must also continue to play well across the board in the CWS, entering the postseason with the second-worst batting average, third-worst slugging percentage and worst fielding percentage in the conference.
"No question their defense is the biggest question mark, but they played two clean games and I think this is the biggest key to their success in Omaha," Travis said. "Offensively, the strikeout numbers are a major concern but they have been cut down severely in the postseason. In a big yard like Omaha, homers are much harder to come by so the importance of putting the ball in play and pressuring opposing teams becomes pivotal.
"All in all, the three most important factors to winning baseball, especially in the postseason are pitching, defense and timely hitting. They’ve done all three well and they have a good thing going. They’re an extremely tough, tight-knit group and I am a big fan of head coach Rob Vaughn. Add one of the most dynamic players in the country to the mix in (shortstop) Justin LeBron, who is having a nice postseason and this team suddenly becomes a real threat to anyone in their way."
Jackson is excited to see how Alabama responds in Omaha after winning 13 of its last 16 games.
"We are very proud of this group and excited for the opportunity they have earned," Jackson said. "They have been so tough and resilient all year which you have to be in this league.
This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Alabama trio give College World Series a touch of Tallahassee