The 2017 summer has been kind to the University of Kentucky Baseball program, as the program reached its first ever Super Regional and that momentum has carried over to the recruiting trail.
The Wildcats have received commitments from numerous classes, but picked up a commitment from a Kentucky native in June. On June 15th, Jackson Fristoe, a member of the class of 2020, pledged his commitment to the Wildcats via his Twitter account.
Announcing a commitment to play college baseball already brings enough emotion with it, but making his decision to attend the University of Kentucky wasn’t the only decision he had to make.
“The week I made my commitment was pretty crazy,” said Fristoe. “My granddad had a heart attack that week and was in the hospital having open heart surgery the day I went to the PBR showcase.”
Fristoe battled with the decision to skip the PBR showcase, or be there with his grandfather, but ultimately decided he would go and do the best he could. Following the showcase, UK coach, Nick Mingione, extended an offer to Fristoe during a meeting with him and his parents. Fristoe immediately knew he wanted to be a Wildcat and announced his decision to attend Kentucky.
Announcing his commitment was exciting enough, but he was even more excited to return to Paducah and deliver the news.
“The best part was when I got back to Paducah to see my grandad in the hospital and tell him I committed to UK,” said Fristoe. “He is one of the biggest UK fans and he was so excited that he was telling the doctors and nurses.”
His grandad isn’t the only Kentucky fan in the family. Attending UK was definitely at the top of Fristoe’s list, but he thinks this season’s accomplishments and making it to Super Regionals made the decision even easier.
“I remember seeing the dogpile on TV and seeing players and coaches that I had gotten to know over the past few months and thinking – I want to be part of that.”
Fristoe stands 6-3, 175lbs and projects as a RHP at the collegiate level. His fastball consistently touches 85-87 MHP and his secondary position is third base. During his freshman season with Paducah Tilghman, Fristoe hit .409 with 13 doubles and 29 RBIs. When asked about positions he could play at the next level, he was open to doing whatever is best for the team.
“I just want to do whatever the coaches need me to do,” said Fristoe. “If it is just pitching then that is great, but I will also continue to work on my hitting, while playing first and third base.”
Fristoe mentioned how important the coaches made him feel and that they always made a point to get to know him, even if they were on the team bus traveling or finishing a late game. Also, like everyone else that has met him, Coach Mingione and his vision for the program impressed Fristoe.
“He told me and my family about the vision he had for the program and how he wants to help me become a better person and player at the same time while I am there, which made me realize that it just couldn’t get better than that.”
The Wildcats are getting a player who will compete every time he takes the field, but he knows he has a lot to improve on over the next three years.
“I need to get bigger and stronger, while continuing to develop my pitching,” said Fristoe. “I really want to improve every part of my game over the next three years, so when I get to UK, I am ready to meet coaches expectations and be able to help the team like they need me to.”
Fristoe will only be a sophomore at Paducah Tilghman this fall and has plenty of time to work on his game, before arriving in Lexington during the fall of 2020. He had fun visiting the different schools and meeting the coaches, but feels relieved that he made his decision early, describing the process as very stressful.
“The day I talked with Coach Mingione, the relief came in just knowing for sure what I wanted to do,” said Fristoe. “Everything they said just seemed to be a perfect fit.”
In the future, fans can expect the Paducah native to give 100% to the game and the team. Fristoe also mentioned that winning the College World Series is something he wants to achieve at UK.
When he arrives, fans will have a Kentucky kid to cheer for, but no one will be cheering harder than his grandad, who is getting stronger.
“I told him he had to get better so he could watch me play,” said Fristoe. “He said looking forward to seeing me play at UK in a few years is good motivation to get better and stay healthy.”
Image courtesy of Jackson Fristoe
