MUNCIE, INDIANA. – When you hear about a 7-foot Ball State athlete, I’m sure you would be shocked to know he’s a baseball player. First Merchant Ballpark is home to junior Will Jacobson, a pitching machine for the Cardinals.
“I didn’t really play a ton in high school, I was still growing. Struggled with commands so I didn’t get too many playing opportunities, but that’s sort of when I first fell in love with baseball,” Jacobson said.
After one year of club baseball at the University of Oregon and two years of baseball at Folsom Lake Junior College, it was time to move up to Ball State and Division 1 baseball.
“Ball State is really good, pitching staff-wise. I also wanted to be a part of a good program like that and I love winning so check marks every box for me,” Jacobson said.
Being a part of the small population of 7-foot pitchers brings on its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
“It’s a little tougher because of mechanics, of course, I can do the same thing as someone smaller than me but it might not affect me in the same way. So, it’s a little different but that is something I like about the pitching staff here, we have a lot of tall guys so I can learn from them,” Jacobson said.
This isn’t the first time Jacobson has been asked about his height either, he gets that one all the time.
“If I go to the grocery store, I’ll probably get it like 3-5 times there. If I go to a baseball game, like in attendance, I’ll maybe get it like 10 times, it’s insane,” Jacobson said.
And while he physically may be head and shoulders above everyone else, he and his teammates are all in the same headspace when it comes to the rest of the season.
“I feel like we definitely have a good shot at winning this thing. We just need to regroup, pound the strike zone and get hits in clutch situations,” Jacobson said.
With a little over a month before the MAC tournament, Jacobson and the flock will look to continue their chase for back-to-back MAC championships.
Contact Brandon Beaman with questions or comments at brandon.beaman@bsu.edu.
