Jackson Reed

Seattle University - OF ('22-present)

At what age did you decide you wanted to play baseball beyond high school?

I have wanted to be a professional athlete since I was born, whether that was baseball or football. I would say that I started getting really serious about baseball my freshman year of high school once I was made more aware that I was gaining interest from colleges.

At what point did you commit to the college you would play baseball at? What made you feel like that was the right time to do so? How did you decide that school was the best fit for you? Did you feel pressure(s) along the way? 

I committed to my university during my junior summer of high school. It was a combination of reasons for what led to my commitment. I felt that limitless potential, so committing to one school was sort of scary for me at first. I wanted to keep my options open, but I was made aware by the scouting director that if I waited any longer, I could potentially lose money to different recruits. Along with this, this school was my #1 out of all of my offers so this in other words was the nudge that I needed to commit. The school had great academics which is something that I cared about a lot as a 3.8GPA student out of high school. 

What has been your favorite part of your baseball career so far?

I'd say my favorite moment keeps changing which is the cool part of baseball. It used to be the state playoffs run I had in my sophomore year in high school. Then it was hitting my first college homerun. Then it was playing #3 Oregon State at their sold-out stadium. Then it was playing in Canada during summer ball. The longer I play, the better the baseball gets and the better the memories are.

What did you learn about the recruiting process by going through it? What did you wish you had known sooner?

I learned that it is much more than the baseball. You have to be a student, you have to be a great teammate, and most importantly you have to be a great person that presents themselves the right way on and off of the field. I wish that I knew composure more in high school. I ran off schools for my reactions on the field, and looking back on it I wish that I would've learned how to deal with adversity better in high school

What would be something you'd want a player who follows in your footsteps to know or consider?

Consider more than just the baseball again. Sometimes you may want to go somewhere, where in reality it just isn't the best fit. The best advice I was told in high school when talking about recruiting is to go somewhere where you wanted. If you try and squeeze into a program with a staff that doesn't have 100% faith in you, it will be a much harder road then going somewhere where they care about your development as a person and a baseball player.