One of the more physical prospects in the Oregon senior class is left-handed hitting 1B Jacob Dodge (Southridge). The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Beaver State native enjoyed a productive summer circuit, showing well in front of our staff at the Oregon ProCase in May and earning an invite to the Area Code Games, too. Dodge displayed above-average raw power when we saw him up-close in May, barreling his best ball up at 101.4 mph with an average exit velocity of 91.5 mph. His peak batted distance (372 ft.) and average batted distance (279 ft.) were amongst the day’s best and the pull-side leverage he generates from the left side offers a potential middle-of-the-order power profile in the future.

Committed to UC Santa Barbara, we recently spoke with Dodge about several baseball-related topics. Our chat with him and his responses, found below.

JACOB DODGE

OUR Q&A

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

Dodge: My expectations for the recruiting process were very broad, I didn’t know what exactly to expect but knew it would be a fun process that in the end would be a serious decision for my future. The main thing I was looking for out of a program was somewhere where I knew that the coaching staff and people around me would help me continue to develop as a player but also as a person.

P: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?

D: Distance from home wasn’t an issue for me because I know that my family and friends are always one call away. The location on the other hand was a huge factor, knowing that I’m going to a college where it’s sunny and good baseball weather almost everyday out of the year was a huge bonus.

P: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Where did the school you committed to first see you play?

D: My recruiting process really started heating up for me as a sophomore when I got to compete in the bigger tournaments and spread my name on a bigger scale. I believe UCSB first saw me at the “NorCal World Series” my junior year and then again at Area Codes. I was already committed to UofO at the time so there wasn’t a lot of communication between us until after I had decided to decommitt.

P: What do you like most about the program you chose, and what were the key factors in making your decision?

D: The thing I like most about the program is the coaching staff, when I got to go on my visit and meet all of the coaches I was blown away with how knowledgeable they were about everything and how open they were to sharing it with me. Some of the key factors that played into my decision other than the location was that most of the coaching staff was from the PNW so they knew where I was coming from. but also the amount of praise I got from everybody that I talked to about the coaching staff. When choosing where I wanted to go I had to think about my development as a hitter and who would be able to help me the most. After getting to talk to coach Fergus about his approach to hitting and his philosophies I knew that he was somebody that would help me reach the next level.

P: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?

D: Utah, Utah Valley, and Baylor.

P: Who is the best player you have faced in your state? What about them makes for a tough opponent?

D: INF Ryan Cooney (Jesuit, 2023; Oregon commit) - the pure skill and passion he has for the game is unreal. He doesn’t ever go down without a fight whether it’s hitting or pitching.

P: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college-caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?

D: 7th grade. Scott Ackermen sat my father and I down and told us that I could be seriously good if I put the work in and didn’t look back and for me that was all I needed to start taking it more serious.

P: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?

D: Be willing to not be normal, be your own player and play as hard as possible because baseball isn’t easy and if it was everyone would do it.

P: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

D: Hitting .533 as a junior in a competitive Metro League was a fun moment when I found out at the end of the season but also I’ve really enjoyed playing with the same group of guys everyday who have the same want to get better.

P: Preview your high school team's season for us. How do you feel your team will be?

D: This season will be a good season for us - our team is going to be filled with scrappy athletes that have the want to win. Overall I see us being a more offensive team than defensive with the core group of hitters returning and adding some younger guys who proved themselves in the summer season as varsity caliber players. I think it’s going to be a battle between us and Jesuit for the Metro Title with a potential run for a deep postseason. 

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