12 Noon on Friday, it will the East Carolina Pirates(45-9) taking on the Texas Longhorns(45-19), in the NCAA Baseball Super Regional on campus at ECU, in Greenville, N.C.
Right in the middle of all of the action will be true freshman Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, from Southeast Guilford High School…Jacob is the starting right fielder for the East Carolina Pirates, and the freshman is batting at a .326 clip, with 12 home runs, and 57 RBI…Not bad for a first-year player, and not bad for any player at any level…Jenkins-Cowart was named to the All-Regional Team last weekend, and he was the MVP of the AAC Conference Tournament, two weeks ago…
This kid has really picked it up quick, and we had the opportunity to talk to him this evening and got his input, on what put him on the college baseball map so quickly, and why the ECU Pirates have had so much success this season…
Nine Questions, and sort of like going nine innings, with Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, from Southeast Guilford High, where he played his high school baseball for Coach Dave Beasley, and for the Gambles, Charlie Gamble III, and Charlie Gamble IV, SEG assistant coaches…
Here we go with Jacob Jenkins-Cowart…
1)GreensboroSports.com:ECU going to the NCAA Super Regional vs. Texas on Friday, can you believe all of this, and how does it feel, and you are only a freshman???
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart:It is a pure adrenaline rush…It is for sure a true blessing to be here…We got off to a rough start, (14-13), and then we went (31-6) the rest of the way…We have really come together as a team, since the first part of the season…
2)GreensboroSports.com:The big play you made in right field defensively in the Conference Tournament title game, describe that play and it must have received thousands of views of YouTube???
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart:The batter was one of their best hitters, and I saw the ball jump off of the bat, and saw our center fielder Bryson Worrell make a move, but I just got after the ball, going from right-to-left, and got into the gap, laid out and came up with the baseball…Don’t have much time to think about it, you have to react and make a play…
(GSOSports:One of the best plays we have seen all season long, at any level.)
3)GreensboroSports.com:How did you end up in right field, you mainly played at first base and some third base in high school, right???
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart:I played some right field in Summer ball…Played first base in the Fall here at ECU, then made the move to the outfield with help from our CF Bryson Worrell, and others, and the move was fairly smooth, all of this change was about a collective goal for our team…Team ball, and do what is best for our team…I played around 10 games at DH early in the Spring season, and then it was all in right field after that, and no first base at all…
4)GreensboroSports.com:You committed to East Carolina when you were just a sophomore in high school, how did you know the Pirates were right for you???
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart:Coach Palumbo and Coach Godwin did a great job recruiting me…ECU has a family feel about it, and the fans turn out in big numbers to watch the games…We have the top attendance of all of the colleges in North Carolina…We had 5,600 fans at our game vs. Virginia…I love this campus, and I love the noise when the fans fill up our baseball stadium…
5)GreensboroSports.com:So much improvement since you arrived at ECU, the increased HR’s/RBI, where did that come from???
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart:The power numbers got better due to the help that I received from strength coach Dennis Wilson…I was able to get stronger and put on weight with his help…Coach Godwin was a tremendous help too…
6)GreensboroSports.com:What are some of the main differences between college and high school ball baseball???
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart:The biggest thing is the length of schedule…In high school you are playing around 25 games per season, and in college, it is more like 56 games, and that is just for the regular season…There is a lot of wear and tear on your body…
7)GreensboroSports.com:To be in the NCAA Baseball Super Regional, what does it mean to you, and ECU???
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart:East Carolina has been to seven Super Regionals, and this is the first time we are hosting on campus…To be hosting the games is big time, and that crowd of 5,600 should be ready to make some big time noise for us/the Pirates….
8)GreensboroSports.com:You have tons of sophomores and freshmen on your roster, you have to think you can keep doing this, and bringing more baseball titles, to Greenville, N.C., and East Carolina University???
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart:We are very young, but we have veteran players that have helped bring us all along, and I have to say, there is something special happening at ECU…
9)GreensboroSports.com:Shout Outs, do you have five that you could toss out there for us???(from back in the Greensboro and Southeast Guilford High School days)
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart:1)Alan Ashkinazy and the staff at the Greensboro Batting Center…2)Carmine Pagano and Carolina Acceleration…3)Coach Dave Beasley, from Southeast Guilford High School…
4)The Gambles, Charlie Gamble III, and Charlie Gamble IV, the SEG assistant baseball coaches…5)Parents…
Bonus Question for the Extra Innings:GreensboroSports.com:As a kid, was baseball or basketball your better sport???(Jacob is 6’6, and he has always been tall.)
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart:With very little hesitation, says BASEBALL!!!
Going back to Jacob Jenkins-Cowart’s sophomore days, in high school, at Southeast Guilford HS…..
And we went digging and we found it….We have “The Catch”…Jacob Jenkins-Cowart in right field, committing highway robbery…One of the best catches you will ever see….CLICK HERE and you are there….Well worth your time to view this one…
Coming soon to GreensboroSports.com:
I have really enjoyed watching this team play all season it is cool to know that Jake has been so successful this season. He and this team are peaking at the right time. We will be pulling for you to make it all the way through Omaha.
It is amazing what this young man has done…The numbers that he has put up as a true freshman in college, are nearly mind-boggling…