FAU transfer Jackson Ross, whose dad went to Ole Miss, shines in Rebels’ first scrimmage: ‘I’ve always been an Ole Miss fan’
OXFORD, Miss. — The Ole Miss baseball team was victorious this Saturday at Swayze, winning two, seven-inning scrimmages against Jacksonville State with final scores of 6-0, and 12-0. The Rebel offense had production all across the board, but one of the biggest contributors was Florida Atlantic transfer, Jackson Ross.
Ross played both first base and left field in Saturday’s scrimmages. At the plate, the senior had himself an impressive day to say the least, hitting for three doubles and five runs batted in (RBI).
Jackson Ross puts the Rebs on the board with a double in his first at-bat! pic.twitter.com/WK5DQMO6ph
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) October 14, 2023
Additionally, Ross also led the Rebs with the hardest hit ball of the day, with an exit velocity of 108 miles per hour.
Top Exit Velos from Today’s Game:@Jackson_Ross55 – 108 mph@_ethanlege – 105 mph@BoGatlin – 104 mph@HughesTreyson – 102 mph@Mason22Morris – 102 mph
— Ole Miss BSB Analytics (@OMBSBAnalytics) October 14, 2023
“I was looking for something to hit early in the count, I would say. I was on it early and was fortunate enough to catch a few barrels and found some holes which was nice, and it helped the team win.”
Jackson Ross
Before arriving in Oxford, Ross spent his last two seasons at Florida Atlantic University where he led the Owls with 26 multi-hit games, along with his .345 batting average, while collecting 14 home runs and 58 RBI. Ross, the only FAU player to start all 59 games at the same position last year, was named C-USA First Team All-Conference.
When he hit the transfer portal in July of 2023, Ross’ decision to attend Ole Miss was simple and the reason behind it is guaranteed to put a smile on the face of Rebel fans.
“My dad actually went to school here, so growing up I’ve always been an Ole Miss fan. I loved watching their baseball team, football team, whatever it was. Since I was a little kid I’ve had stuff hanging in my room of Ole Miss, so it’s really cool to be out here and play in front of these fans and this school.“
Jackson Ross on his love for Ole Miss
As Jackson prepares for his first season of SEC baseball, he understands the challenge becomes increasingly difficult. He talked about what he is looking to improve upon in the remainder of the off-season.
“A little bit of everything. Hitting, defense, stealing bases, kind of just the complete package, I guess you could say. I feel like I can get better in every aspect of the game, so it’s nice because we have a really good coaching staff and we learn every day what can you do to be better for the next day, and we keep building off that throughout the fall.”
Jackson Ross
In one of the areas Ross mentioned, he already seems to have a head start — and that is stealing bases. In the first scrimmage, he was able to swipe third base in the midst of his dominant offensive performance. By the spring, you can bet No. 20 will be another threat on the basepaths in this Ole Miss lineup.
After two convincing wins to kick off the fall, Ross described the positive emotions he feels about his new team.
“I feel like we are off to a good start. It’s exciting being out here. Swayze field, you got all these great fans out here, a great team. It’s really exciting being out here and just getting to play and put the uniform on again, it’s awesome.”
Jackson Ross
For the duration of October, the Rebs will continue to have intrasquad games on the weekends with a scrimmage against the University of Memphis on October 29.
