Photo by Kelsey Middleton.
Jordan Jackson, redshirt senior pitcher, suffered an injury during the 2020 baseball season. Jackson has been doing different things to recover, learning about his body in classes and looks forward to this season.
The injury Jackson suffered was a torn ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. Jackson had to get Tommy John surgery on Nov. 25.
“They take a tendon from another part of your body and they screw it into your elbow,” Jackson said about the surgery.
He was out all of the 2021 season. Since the surgery, Jackson has been doing recovery treatment. This recovery is a long 12-16 month process that Jakcson says “ you just kind of have to trust.” The long process gives a lot of time to get Jackson’s pitching arm back to normal which includes a throwing program.
“The program is like six months,” Jackson said. “It’s basically just gradually working out to further distances every week. I’m out to 90 feet. It’s pretty exciting.”
The distance from the pitching mound to home plate is 60 feet. Jackson is throwing well above that distance, although the speed is still coming along. He feels that he is currently throwing at a “decent speed.” Jackson was throwing an average of 90mph before the injury. He believes that he will be able to get back to throwing at that speed one day.
Going into the 2022 season, Jackson’s injury did not help with his hope of being a starting pitcher.
“Since I’ve been here, I’ve been kind of all over the place,” Jackson said. “I’ve mainly been out of the bullpen though. I probably won’t be a starter initially, but I’ll work my way up to there.”
Jackson not only learned a lot about his body because of the injury, but he is also a kinesiology major and has learned many things about his own body in classes.
“It’s made me more conscious of how the body works,” Jackson said. “Like mechanically how you can help yourself in certain ways.”
The thought of pursuing kinesiology was somewhat inspired by his athletic career.
“I feel like growing up I wanted to do a bunch of different things,” Jackson said. “It probably has a little bit, just because I do want to work with athletes when I get older.”
Looking forward to the season, Jackson talks about what there is to expect.
“It’s always up in the air,” Jackson said. “I think it’s always exciting to see. Me being here for five years, you evaluate the fall and then when the season comes it’s completely different. It’s always exciting to see what’s to come.”
Nevada baseball has already been practicing for the upcoming season. The Nevada Wolf Pack website has the schedule set for the 2022 season. The first game is away against Grand Canyon University on Feb. 18.
Kelsey Middleton can be reached at kelseymiddleton@sagebrush.unr.edu or on Twitter @kelsmiddleunr