Record-setting Rhodes has Jackson baseball primed for postseason run

Jackson's Cooper Rhodes takes a lead from first base against DeSmet on Saturday, May 4, at DeSmet High School in St. Louis.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

The Jackson baseball team enters the final week of the regular season with a slate of home games leading up to the Class 6 District 1 Tournament at Lindbergh High School.

The Indians (21-7) will attempt to return to the final four after making their first-ever appearance as a program last year.

Teams usually take up the identity of their best player. Last year, they sported a powerful lineup led by Caden Bogenpohl, who is currently hitting home runs in college at Missouri State.

This year, the Indians are based around speed and sound contact hitting of junior Cooper Rhodes, who recently broke the school record in stolen bases.

“Last year we've kind of built on the long ball. This year, we're kind of more built on playing small ball, stealing bags, doing our thing,” Rhodes said. “That's what I like about this group, everybody's playing for each other right now. So it's really fun.”

The previous Indians squad featured eight college-bound players who groomed Rhodes to be one of the leaders that continue on their success.

“I learned a lot from those guys last year, and they really took me in because they knew that I was going to help these guys out right here,” Rhodes said. “It was a great experience.”

Rhodes has a hit in each of the previous eight games, batting 12-for-23, while leading an Indians offense that is averaging 6.7 runs per game. It’s a hitting streak that started at their Busch Stadium game against Collinsville on April 21, in St. Louis.

“It was pretty cool,” Rhodes said. “I didn't get to play the field last year, I just DH. So that was also a cool experience to be out there and playing at Busch Stadium.

Rhodes broke the stolen base record on April 27 during a 6-2 win over Kennett in the SEMO Conference Tournament. He learned during the rain delay leading up to that game that he was tied with the previous record holder, Derrick Biri, with 56 career stolen bases.

“I was like, well the pressure’s on now,” Rhodes recalled. “I slipped, almost fell on my face but I got it so that's all that matters. It was definitely the hardest, all the all the pressure and people looking at you.”

Rhodes said his approach to stealing bases is to wait for a pitch count that usually leads to a breaking ball of offspeed pitch that would take longer to get to the catcher. Timing that right is key to getting a good start and a stolen bag.

“It’s just good timing,” Rhodes said, “knowing what pitch is coming really helps a lot too.”

After defeating Dexter 5-0 on April 29 to win their third straight SEMO Conference Tournament title, Rhodes, who made the All-Tournament Team, feels this Indians squad is primed to make another postseason run.

“I think we’re on the same path,” Rhodes said.

Despite losing to DeSmet 8-1 in St. Louis on Saturday, May 4, the Indians are likely to be the top seed in their district, as they are the only team with 20 wins this season.