Jackson Sumrall, a senior at Lee’s Summit High School, recently announced his commitment to play baseball at Central Methodist University. The third baseman shares his recruiting experience along with his plans for preparing to play baseball in college.
Congrats on your commitment to Central Methodist. What are your expectations for your senior year as you prepare to play baseball in college?
I’m so excited for the season to get here. This offseason, I’m working hard to get in shape and to continue developing my skills. My biggest goal for this season is to be a more consistent hitter. I’ve had a lot of success in the past, but I know I have more room to improve.
We’re playing in a high school tournament at KU, and I’m stoked for that one. I’m also ready to join my IE teammates for the summer. I’m really looking forward to my senior year.
You joined IE in 2020, which as we all know, wasn’t a normal baseball year. How did you deal with the unpredictable season?
The high school season being canceled was really disappointing. I used the time off to get in extra swings so I would be ready for the first game with IE. I was new on the team and looking to make a strong impression on the guys. The extra work paid off. In the first game of the season, I ended up being the team’s hottest hitter while making plays at third. It felt like I was off to a great start. But, almost as soon as we started, we had to miss a few tournaments due to Covid. Shutting down for those weeks was hard. I struggled with the idea a bit but called on my passion and love for the game to stay focused. Thankfully, we got to take the field in a few tournaments to wrap up the season. I was able to get enough game reps to draw the attention of the CMU coaching staff.
The shortened season aside, it means a lot to be playing at IE. It’s a great feeling to know that I have coaches and teammates that care about me and want me to succeed. I can’t really ask for more out of a club program at this level.
We’re excited to have you playing for us and look forward to watching you this season. Which, you mentioned CMU watching you play this season; how was the recruiting experience with the coaches?
It was really easy, actually. I reached out to Coach Breland, expressing interest in the program and asking what I needed to do to set up a visit. He answered right away and told me he was interested in me joining the team. After a few conversations, he asked that I submit my application just to make sure I would be accepted as a student. I did, and right after I told him I was accepted, he extended my offer.
It’s always good to hear everyone’s recruiting stories, especially when they were easy like yours. After going through the recruiting process, what advice would you give to younger IE players?
I would say, looking back, the biggest thing you can do is to find what you love to do in the game. I fell in love with playing third base when I was 14 and never looked back. I just wanted to take ground balls from the hot corner all day long.
It definitely takes the right mindset and courage to play the hot corner. Were you given any advice that helped you develop the fearless attitude needed to play that position?
The best advice I was given that really helped was “good teams find a way to win, even when they don’t play their best”. That saying applies in any sport, but I love it in baseball because this is such a streaky game. You rarely play your best in every game, but you still have to find a way to win. That’s not specific to playing 3rd, but it definitely gets me pumped and ready to compete.
In closing, do you have a favorite player, past or present, who you’d love to watch play?
I don’t really have a single player, but I would love to go back to see players that played in the dead-ball era. There are so many great players to choose from, whether it’s Ty Cobb or Shoeless Joe Jackson. I would love to see how they played the game, and how different the game was compared to the game we know today. I have always been fascinated with baseball back then.
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