Jackson senior duo destined for the next level

The Jackson Indians enter the baseball season with high expectations and aspirations.

A big reason why is the team features a senior battery that is set on playing Division I college baseball next year, with Caden Bogenpohl on the mound and Baden Hackworth behind the plate.

Bogenpohl signed his letter of intent to play college baseball at Missouri State around the same time he competed in the Power Showcase Amateur Home Run Derby on Nov. 24 in Miami. He was the lone representative of Missouri and won the derby as well as hitting a 503-foot home run, which topped Bryce Harper’s 502-foot blast way back in 2009.

That event led to some interactions with pro scouts, which may be the bigger prize.

“After that event, the buzz around my name picked up a lot,” Bogenpohl said. “Ever since then, I’ve been building my stock and it should be a fun spring.”

While his hitting has gotten him into college, his pitching is what might get him drafted out of high school. Bogenpohl started pitching last year and topped his fastball velocity at 92 mph. He is entering his senior season with a recorded max velocity of 95 mph after an intense winter workout program.

“It's really fun to see because sophomore year, he was probably like 84-85, nothing crazy,” Hackworth said. “It wasn't like, boom, right in your glove, just smooth and easy. Next year is like 90-91, and consistently, that's not much difference. But whenever you get into the mid-90s and the high-90s, you can tell the speed differences because you can't see spin. Stuff like that is harder to see and hit, even from a hitter's perspective.”

“My height and weight definitely help with that,” said Bogenpohl, who is listed at 6-5, 230 pounds, “but also your mechanics have to be really good. You got to move fast, and it's not all about velocity. They're gonna have to pitch those strikes because at the end of day if you don't throw strikes, can't win baseball games.”

Bogenpohl said he is a better hitter but enjoys pitching more. While his fastball is impressive, he has other ways to get batters out.

“My fastball is my best pitch,” Bogenpohl said. “My second best pitch for sure is my slider. It's my go-to pitch in any count, and that’s how I get a lot of my strikeouts. I've been working on a changeup and that's good as well.”

Bogenpohl benefits from having a catcher like Hackworth, who has committed to play college ball at St. Louis next year. The two have been playing baseball together since they were 10 years old, and Hackworth feels he improves as a catcher whenever Bogenpohl is on the mound.

“Honestly, it's fun to catch a guy like that every day,” Hackworth said. “Honestly, we push each other we strive to be the best that we can be.

“Whenever somebody throws as hard as he does, and that ball moves just as much as anybody in the nation,” he added, “Every time that I get more repetition at that high level, it makes me better as a catcher.”

Even as he is entering his senior season with a DI college commit, Hackworth is going in as the Indians' primary catcher for the first time.

“[Kyle] Richardson was a phenomenal catcher back there last year but Baden Hackworth is gonna step into that role and he's a high-level guy too,” Jackson head coach Josh Roach said. “Pitching wise we definitely lost some arms but we’re also gaining some, guys with some experience like Caden [Bogenpohl] and JP [Sauer] are going to do some damage.”

Hackworth has the confidence of his coaches and has the green light to call the game his way, so long as the score does get out of hand. He is prepared for the role and said his IQ is what got him college offers in the first place.

"I feel like I'm always like a step ahead of a lot of people on the field, and obviously at the catcher position," Hackworth said. "I get to see the entire field, and so it makes it a lot easier to pay attention to certain things. I'm a very observant person."

Jackson opens the season wiht a matchup against Troy Buchanan in the Troy Baseball Classic on Sunday at Troy, Mo.