Jackson puts bow on season, takes third in pitchers' duel win

Jackson baseball recouped, recovered and completely flipped the script on Saturday, coming away with a 2-1 victory in the MSHSAA Class 6 third-place game to claim the bronze medal.

Starting pitcher John-Paul Sauer maintained a perfect game into the fourth inning and didn’t allow a run until the final frame. The Eagles pushed one across with one out, but Sauer slammed the door shut with a runner on third to claim the first final-four victory in program history.

“John-Paul did what John-Paul has done all season long,” Indians coach Josh Roach said. “One of the best pitchers in the state of Missouri. Consistently dominating really good teams. Nixa is a really, really good baseball team and he pretty much shut them down offensively completely.”

The Indians scored two runs – one in the first, one in the seventh – and held Nixa to just one run. In a rematch of the Indians’ doubleheader in Nixa, in which Jackson lost both games by a combined 13 runs, they needed to find a way to counter their faults from the night before.

Despite scoring just two runs, a near-flawless effort from the Indian defense resulted in a loss while allowing nine runs on Friday feeding into Saturday’s win allowing just one.

“We told them, it was painful. It was a very emotional game for us,” Roach said. “We know we didn't play our best. I told them, when we wake up in the morning, that game has gone and we're moving on to the next one. Our mindset was, ‘This is our last and we want it to be our best,’ and they came out and did that.”

Jackson's Jack Wyatt roars toward the dugout after reaching on an infield single during a June 3, 2023 matchup between Jackson and Nixa at Sky Bacon Stadium in Ozark, Mo. Jackson defeated Nixa, 2-1, to claim the Class 6 third-place title.Cole Lee ~ Southeast Missourian

The Indians combined for a total of just four hits in the win, with senior Jack Wyatt leading the offense with a two-hit afternoon while classmate Henley Parker hit once and sophomore Cooper Rhodes drove him in with the fourth hit.

Senior Grant Dotson got the second RBI of the day with a sacrifice bunt in the seventh inning, while classmates Caden Bogenpohl, Steven Schneider and Landon Watkins all drew walks – Schneider scoring on the sacrifice bunt after walking.

With eight of nine batters in the Indian lineup graduating, and the third-place game serving as their last appearance in a Jackson uniform, it felt all the sweeter when senior catcher Baden Hackworth made the pop-up catch in front of the first-base netting to seal the deal and end the Indians’ season as bronze medalists.

“It's probably been my favorite season of baseball I've ever had,” Sauer said. “The seniors that have been here, they’ve set the standard. The expectations they had on me. It's like – I had to make this, and I tried the best I could. Number one – they made baseball fun.”

Jackson's John-Paul Sauer (right) shrugs following a 1-2-3 fifth inning while Quinton Borders (left) jogs back to the dugout during a June 3, 2023 matchup between Jackson and Nixa at Sky Bacon Stadium in Ozark, Mo. Jackson defeated Nixa, 2-1, to claim the Class 6 third-place title.Cole Lee ~ Southeast Missourian

While the spotlight falls upon the seniors, rightfully, the coaching staff persists that the opportunity arises for the underclassmen to rise to the occasion after experiencing the pomp and circumstance that comes with an appearance at the state championships.

Though recovering the lost production from a talented senior class can be difficult, the program’s benchmark has been set, and the coaching staff isn’t shying away from making another postseason run next season with a handful of returning arms and some young offensive production.

“We told the underclassmen, this group of seniors has laid down the foundation,” Roach said. “They left their legacy of excellence. Our standard now is, and I don't think it's misplaced, is to try and get back to this every single year. That's the standard that we have, and we're gonna push toward that.

“We have a really, really solid program at Jackson with a lot of talent. We expect to compete for a district and state title every single year, and that's what we're going to work toward.”