Cardinalbb
06-01-2006, 06:28 AM
Soph catcher plays big for BC
Bridge City sophomore catcher Casey Jackson has walloped a team-leading 10 home runs and leads the team with 41 RBIs for the season.
But that’s not the best of it for Jackson.
Two weeks ago, he called the pitches when junior Jeff Stringer pitched a no-hitter to beat Barbers Hill in the rubber game of the Region III quarterfinals.
“Coach Johnson (BC assistant coach James Johnson) mainly calls the pitches,”
Jackson said, “but against Barbers Hill that game, I called pitches.
“The other team started catching on to coach Johnson’s signals. So he told me to just call them.”
That makes it the first no-hitter the 5-10, 215-pounder has ever called
behind the plate. And he didn’t even know it at the time.
“I didn’t know it was a no-hitter until after the game,” he said.
Bridge City would welcome another performance like that out of its No. 3 pitcher.
But only if its first two pitchers, seniors Kevin Angelle and Broc Haymon, can’t lead the Cardinals to a sweep of Cameron Yoe in this weekend’s Region III championship series.
Bridge City, 31-5 and ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, is seeking a return to the state tournament and a victory in the best-of-three series at Houston’s Baseball USA would do the trick.
Game 1 begins at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Game 2 begins at 5 p.m. Friday.
Game 3, if needed, would start 30 minutes after the completion of Game 2.
Bridge city head coach Billy Bryant said in the event of rain Thursday, the teams would try to play two games on Friday and one on Saturday, if needed.
“When we started back in January, we were hoping that we’d still be playing when school was out,” Bryant said. “There are just eight teams out of 186 in 3A still alive, and so the people still standing are good teams. “Every victory from here on out will be hard-earned.”
Jackson says the Cardinals are ready to do whatever it takes.
“We want to get back to the state tournament really bad,” Jackson said.
A year ago, Jackson sat and watched then-senior Ben Myers do BC’s catching. He made it to the state tournament as a benchwarmer.
This year, the lefty-swinger has been a big reason behind the Cardinals’ 5-1 record in the post-season. Four of his homers came in playoff games, including three against Barbers Hill.
“We decided we’d better start hitting if we wanted to get back there (to state),” the catcher said.
Jackson says he has developed his power swing with the help of a lot of people.
“Coach Bryant has helped. Plus, I’ve been going to a lot of other coaches that help me out, select teams, and my dad (Jeffrey Jackson) was a big help,” Jackson said.
Still, he never expected to send the ball over the fence with such regularity – 10 of his 34 hits, in only 87 at-bats – have been round-trippers.
“I didn’t expect to hit that many on the varsity,” says Jackson, who’s hitting .391 for the season. “But the coaches always tell us to look for good pitches to hit. To wait on them and make the pitcher work. That’s what I’ve been trying to do, and I just finally did it.”
Cameron Yoe, 24-9, upset No. 2-ranked Lufkin Hudson in three games last week to advance.
“This week should be tough,” Jackson said. “Cameron Yoe beat Lufkin, which is a pretty good team. They’ve got Brandon Belt over there (at Hudson).”
“If we keep hitting the way we are, we’ll be fine. We’ve got Kevin on the mound the first game. Hopefully it’ll work out good.”
Angelle, 11-1, struck out 16 batters last week as Bridge City took a 6-0 win over Columbus in a one-game playoff in the Region III semis. The pro draft prospect has 148 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched.
Other 3A regional finals this weekend pit Abilene Wylie (24-7) against Decatur (28-6); Texarkana Liberty-Eylau (23-14) vs. Lindale (30-6); and Falfurrias (26-5) vs. Sinton (28-.
Believe it or not, Jackson says he still gets nervous as his team competes in the state playoffs.
“Kevin (Angelle) and all the seniors help me out,” he says. “They keep me focused during the game, keep pepping me up. Because I get nervous, especially in the playoffs.”
But not nearly as nervous as Jackson makes opposition pitchers.
Bridge City sophomore catcher Casey Jackson has walloped a team-leading 10 home runs and leads the team with 41 RBIs for the season.
But that’s not the best of it for Jackson.
Two weeks ago, he called the pitches when junior Jeff Stringer pitched a no-hitter to beat Barbers Hill in the rubber game of the Region III quarterfinals.
“Coach Johnson (BC assistant coach James Johnson) mainly calls the pitches,”
Jackson said, “but against Barbers Hill that game, I called pitches.
“The other team started catching on to coach Johnson’s signals. So he told me to just call them.”
That makes it the first no-hitter the 5-10, 215-pounder has ever called
behind the plate. And he didn’t even know it at the time.
“I didn’t know it was a no-hitter until after the game,” he said.
Bridge City would welcome another performance like that out of its No. 3 pitcher.
But only if its first two pitchers, seniors Kevin Angelle and Broc Haymon, can’t lead the Cardinals to a sweep of Cameron Yoe in this weekend’s Region III championship series.
Bridge City, 31-5 and ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, is seeking a return to the state tournament and a victory in the best-of-three series at Houston’s Baseball USA would do the trick.
Game 1 begins at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Game 2 begins at 5 p.m. Friday.
Game 3, if needed, would start 30 minutes after the completion of Game 2.
Bridge city head coach Billy Bryant said in the event of rain Thursday, the teams would try to play two games on Friday and one on Saturday, if needed.
“When we started back in January, we were hoping that we’d still be playing when school was out,” Bryant said. “There are just eight teams out of 186 in 3A still alive, and so the people still standing are good teams. “Every victory from here on out will be hard-earned.”
Jackson says the Cardinals are ready to do whatever it takes.
“We want to get back to the state tournament really bad,” Jackson said.
A year ago, Jackson sat and watched then-senior Ben Myers do BC’s catching. He made it to the state tournament as a benchwarmer.
This year, the lefty-swinger has been a big reason behind the Cardinals’ 5-1 record in the post-season. Four of his homers came in playoff games, including three against Barbers Hill.
“We decided we’d better start hitting if we wanted to get back there (to state),” the catcher said.
Jackson says he has developed his power swing with the help of a lot of people.
“Coach Bryant has helped. Plus, I’ve been going to a lot of other coaches that help me out, select teams, and my dad (Jeffrey Jackson) was a big help,” Jackson said.
Still, he never expected to send the ball over the fence with such regularity – 10 of his 34 hits, in only 87 at-bats – have been round-trippers.
“I didn’t expect to hit that many on the varsity,” says Jackson, who’s hitting .391 for the season. “But the coaches always tell us to look for good pitches to hit. To wait on them and make the pitcher work. That’s what I’ve been trying to do, and I just finally did it.”
Cameron Yoe, 24-9, upset No. 2-ranked Lufkin Hudson in three games last week to advance.
“This week should be tough,” Jackson said. “Cameron Yoe beat Lufkin, which is a pretty good team. They’ve got Brandon Belt over there (at Hudson).”
“If we keep hitting the way we are, we’ll be fine. We’ve got Kevin on the mound the first game. Hopefully it’ll work out good.”
Angelle, 11-1, struck out 16 batters last week as Bridge City took a 6-0 win over Columbus in a one-game playoff in the Region III semis. The pro draft prospect has 148 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched.
Other 3A regional finals this weekend pit Abilene Wylie (24-7) against Decatur (28-6); Texarkana Liberty-Eylau (23-14) vs. Lindale (30-6); and Falfurrias (26-5) vs. Sinton (28-.
Believe it or not, Jackson says he still gets nervous as his team competes in the state playoffs.
“Kevin (Angelle) and all the seniors help me out,” he says. “They keep me focused during the game, keep pepping me up. Because I get nervous, especially in the playoffs.”
But not nearly as nervous as Jackson makes opposition pitchers.