Westside Baseball’s Jackson Yeager Earns PBR Hitter of the Week Award

Mary Nilius

Westside’s Jackson Yeager recently was awarded the Prep Baseball Report Nebraska’s Hitter of the Week

Senior Jackson Yeager has stood out this season, as he has gained a new achievement as the PBR (Prep Baseball Report) Nebraska Hitter of the Week on Mar. 23. 

Yeager, who leads Class A in home runs (3), slugging percentage (1.048) and RBI (12) along with being third in hits (10), has been a clutch hitter for the Warriors this year. He is currently carrying a batting average of .476 through seven games at the four-spot in their lineup. Following the achievement, Yeager discussed his feelings toward the achievement.

“It feels good. All of the off-season work that we put in and getting a little bit of recognition,” Yeager said. “I look forward to helping the team in any way possible and am very excited for the rest of the season.”

Yeager exemplified his aggressiveness and clutch hitting ability at the plate hitting the walk-off two-run homerun in Westside’s 9-8 win over the Burke Bulldogs on Mar. 18.

“We scored in the last four innings so we were coming in hot and my teammates got on, we got a runner in,” Yeager said. “I was up there looking for a fast ball and he left it over the middle and I guess that just happened, I couldn’t really think it was just crazy.” 

Yeager’s award was also a respect to Westside’s hitting prowess to start the season. Along with Yeager, both RJ Gunderson and Dalton Bargo find themselves in the top five in Class A in both batting average and hits. Head Coach Otis Seals credits Yeager’s productive offseason to his hot start.

Jackson has been outstanding for us to start this season,” Seals said. “The one thing that I wish people knew more about is how much he’s worked to give himself the chances to do these amazing things.  People see him hit the walk off homerun to beat Burke, or win the PBR Nebraska hitter-of-the-week, but nobody sees the countless hours of batting practice he’s taken, or the hitting workouts in the Blue Gym all winter at 6:15 a.m.”

For the rest of the season, Yeager has one goal in mind.

“We are looking to make the state tournament and compete for a state championship,” Yeager said. “We just need to keep swinging it like we have been. If we can make plays in the field and pitch well we are going to be a tough team to beat.”

Yeager and the Warrior baseball team will continue to fight till the end as they will compete against the Creighton Prep Jr. Jays on Wednesday Mar. 28.