Jake Skole's quandary: Texas Rangers or Georgia Tech?
By Todd Holcomb
Jun 8, 2010, 12:00am
Blessed Trinity center fielder's strong finish boosts his stock - taken by Rangers with the 15th pick.
Six weeks ago, Jake Skole of Blessed Trinity (Roswell, Ga.) was coming back from an ankle injury that nearly ruined his senior season of baseball.
Skole figured his future was at Georgia Tech, where he’d signed to play football and baseball. He was an all-state wide receiver and defensive back in his lesser sport.
On Monday, Skole's future became clearer when the Texas Rangers made him the 15th overall pick in the major league draft.
The second of a record five Georgia players to go in the first round, Skole appears headed for a career in professional baseball now.
“I knew with the amount of scouts that were coming to practices and games that they were interested in me, but I didn’t think I’d have a chance to come back [from the injury] and show them anything,’’ Skole said Tuesday. “I thought I was Tech-bound for sure. Once I started swinging [the bat] a bit, I realized I might have another shot at this. It looks like it worked out great.’’
Skole played only 13 games for Blessed Trinity, batting .452, but he slugged six home runs in nine state-playoff games. That was all the confirmation that the Rangers needed to take him in the first round.
Skole was called ‘’the biggest surprise of the first round’’ by the MLB Network, but his high school coach, Andy Harlin, was amused at that.
‘’One thing I’ve learned through this process is what an inexact science [the draft] is,’’ Harlin said. “Jake played for the East Cobb Yankees. That’s as big of a summer team as you can get. So why draft shows were surprised, I guess they were just saying what they’ve been fed. He’s been a helluva player for us since got here. He’s been on maps for a long time.’’
Harlin said Skole’s signing with Tech in football might’ve fooled people. Baseball was always Skole’s priority.
Harlin compared Skole to Cleveland Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore, a five-tool player.
“He plays a very fast game,’’ Harlin said. “He’s got that ability to lay down a bunt. He’s under 4 [seconds] to first. He can also hit a home run. He’s a hard game to defend.’’
Skole started all four seasons at Blessed Trinity, and he’s been a fixture for years with East Cobb Baseball, the top training ground for Georgia prospects.
Among Skole’s former teammates at East Cobb are Kaleb Cowart (Cook, Adel, Ga.) and Chevez Clarke Marietta, who also made the first round. Other Georgia players taken in the first round Monday were Delino Deshields Jr. (Woodward Academy, College Park) and Cam Bedrosian (East Coweta, Sharpsburg, Ga.).
Skole got word of his first-round selection while attending Tech’s baseball game Monday against Alabama in the NCAA tournament.
‘’I got about 30 text messages in a row, I couldn’t read them that fast,’’ Skole said.
An Atlanta-area scout called him with the news officially. He later spoke with Rangers president Nolan Ryan.
‘’[The scout] said we’ll have our GM and scouting director call you in a little bit; do you want to talk to Nolan ryan for a second?” Skole said. “I said, ‘Nolan Ryan? Yeah! That was cool.”
Skole will fly to Arlington, Texas, for a press conference this week. The No. 15 pick in 2009, Cleveland Indians pitching prospect Alex White, reportedly signed for $2 million.
Skole said that if contract negotiations went as expected that he’d sign with the Rangers and forego Tech.
Skole likes comparison to Sizemore. Skole has covered 60 yards in 6.5 seconds.
“They’re getting a leadoff guy,’’ Skole said. “I’m someone who can fill out a bit, and if I can keep my wheels and put up more power numbers, it could be a good career.’’
