'Self-Starter' Jenkins Ready For Two-Way Challenge At Akron

HILLIARD - What a way to celebrate your 18th birthday.

That was the day that Caleb Jenkins committed to Akron.

“It was super exciting with my family around,” the Hilliard Bradley senior said about the zoom call on Sept. 25. “When I heard the coach’s excitement it confirmed I made the right choice. I’m working even harder now that I’m committed.”

Being a “self-starter” is what helped attract Akron to the 71st-rated 2021 in Ohio.

“They like that I’m self-motivated,” Jenkins noted. “They talked to my coaches who said I’m always working behind the scenes. I get extra reps and have that grinder mentality.”

Interest from the Mid-American Conference program began in mid-summer.

“Akron reached out soon after my PBR event,” Jenkins said in reference to the Southern Ohio Top Prospect Games in July. “They like what they saw and I started communicating with coach (Connor) Faix, then coach (Cory) Mee and (head) coach (Chris) Sabo who talked to my coaches. We had a zoom call when he made an offer in August. I took my time to think it over after that.”

A personal visit took place as Jenkins narrowed his college decision down to Akron and Ohio Dominican.

“I realized Akron was the place for me,” the 22nd-ranked senior right-handed pitcher in the state explained. “The coaches and the developmental side stood out. I watched a practice from a distance and liked what I saw. The coaches talk about building a culture there and I want to be part of it.”

Improvement on the field helped pave the way for the 6-1 205-pounder to become a Division I commit.

“I’ve gotten stronger and I’m faster,” Jenkins noted. “My exit velo is up and my fastball is up. I’m a smarter baseball player. To all that I credit most to the weight room and developing physically.”

That remains the focus during senior year at Bradley.

“I want to continue getting stronger in the weight room,” Jenkins explained. “I want to clean up my mechanics on the mound and work on becoming a better hitter.”

The chance to be a two-way player was a necessity for the 12th-ranked uncommitted 2021 in Ohio at the time of his decision to attend Akron.

“Being a two-way player has been super important for me,” admitted Jenkins, who is expected to start out as a third baseman and pitcher for the Zips. “I didn’t talk to a school that didn’t think I had a shot of being two-way.”

Jenkins understands the commitment needed to do both.

“It’s going to require extra reps, extra practice,” Jenkins said. “If I’m pitching while the infielders are working, I’ll have to stay after and do my infield. If I’m doing infield while the pitchers are throwing, I’ll need to stay after practice to throw. It will take more practice than most to assure I have the best chance to play.”

It was when Jenkins entered high school that he began thinking about playing baseball at the next level.

“I was playing with some guys that were committed and to see the excitement they had about it made me want to do it,” Jenkins related. “Then this summer at PBR when I got a velo jump is when I realized I had a chance.”

Colleges began to take notice as well.

“Early this season when I would have started the high school season my recruitment picked up,” Jenkins pointed out. “As summer came along more and more contacted me.”

A 3.95 student weighing a major in either business or engineering, Jenkins gave credit to Rick Oyster for helping him become the player he is today.

“He’s been my summer coach since I was little and kind of everything I know about baseball is because of him,” noted Jenkins, who also pointed to his parents for all their guidance, Andrew Westbrook for aiding with exposure and getting him in front of coaches, and Xander Uxley for assisting with development through his high school career.

Jenkins believes Akron will benefit in the long run.

“On the baseball side, I’m a good pitcher and a good defensive player,” Jenkins said. “I’ll be a leader as well. For my high school team I’m a senior now and have learned valuable skills to help motivate people and keep people accountable.”