As a starting pitcher, shortstop and leadoff hitter, Jaden Jackson can be expected to make an impact for Lakes this season.
But Jackson, a senior who was the starting point guard for the boys basketball team, is leaning into another role that influences everything he does.
“It all stems from basketball and being forced to be vocal,” he said. “Last year, I wasn’t really a leader. But after basketball, I’m taking those skills and elevating them, both vocally and with my actions, trying to bring these guys along with me.”
Jackson and the Eagles have won seven of their first nine games, and that early success under his leadership is not a coincidence, according to coach Chris Hoffman. A series of preseason team-building sessions might have laid the foundation.
“There’s a power of one positive thing you can say to teammates, and he’s really taken to that,” Hoffman said about Jackson. “It’s about treating people well. He’s consistent in doing that, and that’s difficult. We don’t only want guys like him to lead on varsity but to set the tone for the whole program.”
Jackson relishes the chance to do so, and he has embraced one hallmark in particular from the sessions that posits there is no neutral interaction between people. Any interaction will be positive or negative, and Jackson intends to generate the former.
He said his buy-in is the result of a void he felt when he was an impressionable, inexperienced sophomore in 2022.
“We didn’t really have any outgoing leadership, and I wanted to turn that around,” he said.
Lakes’ Jaden Jackson (5) looks to pass as Antioch’s Carter Webb (23) defends during a Northern Lake County Conference game in Lake Villa on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. (Mark Ukena / News-Sun)
Another topic covered in the sessions is overcoming the fear of failure, which is inevitable in baseball. Jackson said he has tried to demonstrate a positive mindset even after striking out or making an error. He has also tried to mentor younger players, who have less experience with the ups and downs of a season.
Among those players is sophomore second baseman Ethan Jablonski.
“He truly embodies what it’s like to be a team leader,” Jablonski said. “He’s taken me under his wing and helped show me the ropes. If I have a bad at-bat, he tells me to keep my head up. You can tell he’s all about the team succeeding.”
Jackson’s well-rounded skill set is also a factor in that success, of course. Reprising his role as one of Lakes’ top starting pitchers, Jackson is 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA this season.
“If it’s 0-2 or 1-2, I have more than enough to rear back and throw it by a guy, but most of all I just try to throw strikes,” he said.
When he’s not on the mound, Jackson is a steady, fundamentally sound shortstop. Being a Carbondale-born Cardinals fan, he learned a few things watching footage of Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith.
“Those videos showed me how to take that quick shuffle step,” Jackson said. “I focus on having a quick first step and getting to the ball fast and getting rid of it fast.”
Jackson is also getting the job done at the plate. He started the week with a .394 on-base percentage. His approach in the leadoff spot reflects his overarching role on the team.
“I like to set the tone early and get the team hyped up,” Jackson said. “I look forward to the pressure of batting in that spot, and I’m confident in my ability to handle the pressure.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
