 "Photo: Rebecca Moore")
Ryan Jacobi, a member of the Texas Wesleyan baseball team, is in his final season as a Ram and aiming for the NAIA World Series. As a starting outfielder, Jacobi has made a significant difference for the baseball program and hopes to finish his Texas Wesleyan baseball career with success.
“Jacobi has been a quality player for our team, and he does a great job defensively,”
Head Coach Mike Jeffcoat said. “He is a good young man on and off the field.”With his final season in progress, Jacobi said he is willing to do whatever it takes to make it a successful year with the other 15 seniors.
“We aren’t going to hold anything back,” he said. “We are going to leave it all on the field and play like it might be our last competitive season.”
Jacobi said he also wants to win the conference tournament and make it to the NAIA World Series. As a personal goal, Jacobi said he is hoping to be selected to the first team all-conference team.
Prior to Wesleyan, Jacobi played baseball for Mansfield High School. In his senior year he was named first team all-district outfield player and was a member of the district championship team.
When looking to attend college, Jacobi said he was attracted to the Wesleyan baseball program and went on a tour of the campus.
“I liked the fact that Wesleyan has a coach that was a major league player and that the team plays at La Grave Field,” he said.
The small campus size and the aroma of food in Dora’s cafeteria were additional sellers for Jacobi.
“I got to venture into Dora’s during my campus tour, and it smelled amazing, so I knew I would never go hungry,” he said.
As a junior, Jacobi received the Champions of Character Award for Texas Wesleyan and second team all-conference recognition. He also received the Red River Athletic
Conference Golden Glove award as a sophomore for his performance as a right fielder.
As a pitcher in his freshman year, Jacobi helped the Rams to a RRAC title, the first in 27 years.
“In the final inning against Northwood, I threw out a player at the plate and my assist sealed our victory to make it to the championship game where we won the long-awaited title,” he said.
Since the win, the Texas Wesleyan baseball team has yet to reclaim the conference title. However, Jacobi said he hopes to leave the baseball program just as he started it.
“I want to create a new favorite memory by winning the conference championship title again this year,” he said.
Jacobi is also active outside of Texas Wesleyan. In summer 2007, he played for the Niagara Power in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. He also played in a summer league after his sophomore year in Alberta, Canada, for the Sherwood Park Dukes.
“I gained a lot from playing in the summer leagues, and I enjoyed the different experiences with each team,” he said.
Jacobi said he also likes to share his passion for baseball with others through coaching. This past summer, he coached 16-year-olds on the DFW Twins, an organization run by former Wesleyan player Ross Elmore. Jacobi also coached with the
Mansfield Legacy High School teams at the freshman, junior varsity and varsity levels.
Off the field, Jacobi has achieved a cumulative GPA higher than a 3.0 and will graduate in May with a degree in business management.
After Wesleyan, if given the opportunity, Jacobi is looking to sign as a free agent with an independent baseball team.
“My baseball career will depend on how well I do this season,” he said. “I would like to sign with an affiliated team and continue playing ball at the professional level.”
Jacobi also aspires to open his own business while coaching baseball.
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