Summer Ball Q&A: Junior Outfielder Jacob Robson
July 23, 2015 | Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - For the month of July, HailState.com will interview select Mississippi State baseball players competing across the country in summer leagues. Rising junior Jacob Robson is currently playing for the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
As of July 22, 2015, Robson is hitting .289 in 76 at-bats with 11 runs, 11 walks, nine doubles, eight RBIs, four stolen bases and two triples. Due to his success, the speedster was named a starter in the July 25 CCBL All-Star Game. The honor came shortly after being named CCBL Player of the Week July 7.
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JACOB ROBSON Q&A
Q: What are some areas the MSU coaching staff wants you to improve upon this summer?
A: They would like me to cut down on the swing and miss in my at-bats. Since my game is based more on speed, it hurts when I cannot put the ball in play. Putting the ball in play and avoiding the strikeout swing and miss is a huge asset to a player like me. Every time I put the ball in play, there is a chance I might beat it out or force an error. My speed puts pressure on the defense and defenders know it. So putting pressure on the defense and making contact was the biggest thing the coaches and I talked about before I left Starkville.
Q: How is your experience this summer going to make you a better player for 2016?
A: This summer I am having a great time. It is a great league and it is very competitive. Some of the premier players in the country are here. The biggest thing with this league is that every single day you have to show up at the park locked in mentally. If you are not, the game is going to hit you right in the face. The best players are always locked in and competing to the best of their ability. You really have to be prepared mentally and physically when you step on the field. The pitchers are so good here. I am working on battling with two strikes. I am starting to understand myself and use a different approach sometimes. I am accustomed to trying to slap the ball to the opposite side of the field, but there are some situations in games where a hitter needs to try and drive the ball. Driving it will help me hit more doubles and triples, especially at a spacious park like Dudy Noble Field. I am not the tallest guy, but I do have the ability to hit more than a single. This past spring, hitting more than singles was one of the biggest things I wanted to improve on. I only had five doubles, one triple and zero home runs all season. This summer I already have nine doubles and two triples in a fraction of the games. If I can come back in the spring and implement this new approach, I think it will help the team win a lot more.
Q: How does the talent level in the CCBL compare to the Southeastern Conference?
A: It is pretty similar to SEC talent. Every starter that we face would be like a Friday night starter in the SEC. A lot of pitchers in this league throw really hard. There are a lot of talented pure-hitting prospects, which is similar to the SEC.
Q: What's it like playing in the CCBL with so many scouts at the games?
A: Growing up, I played on the Canadian Junior National Team, so there were always scouts at our games. We traveled the world. We went from Florida to the Dominican Republic to South Korea and so many ballparks in between. We had 10-to-20 scouts follow us wherever we went. That experience, along with playing at MSU, have prepared me for a league like this. If you worry about scouts, you are not going to play to the best of your ability.
Q: What was it like competing in front of MLB Scouts at Fenway Park on June 30?
A: It was a tremendous experience. I ran a 6.45 in the 60-yard dash and then took batting practice. We also took some psychological tests for pro teams. Getting to be on the field at Fenway Park, where some of the most legendary players ever have played, was an amazing experience. I am very honored and humbled to say I worked out there.
Q: Do you have a MSU teammate on your summer team? What's that like?
A: Reid Humphreys is on the Braves with me and having him on the team is great. I think we are helping push each other to be the best that we can be. Having a college teammate on your summer ball team is really positive because when you first arrive, you do not know anyone else. When you already know someone there, it makes you a little more comfortable in your own skin.
Q: What adjustments do you have to make swinging wooden bats?
A: The weight of them is pretty similar and if you get it on the sweet spot there is not much of a difference in the pop. I prefer wood bats because I can bunt better with them. Metal bats are slicker and have more pop when you bunt the ball, which makes it harder to control. It is a lot easier to kill the ball when you bunt with a wooden bat.
Q: What's a typical day like in summer league?
A: I try to get up and make some breakfast first thing in the morning. My backyard has a deck which features an amazing view of the ocean. It is only a block away from the water. I hang out there before getting laundry done. Then I will show up at the field around 2 p.m. for a 6 p.m. game. We take early batting practice and then start warming up. I always try to watch the opposing pitcher warm up to get my timing down and make sure my swing is on point before the game. There are some long exhausting days, but they are definitely worth it.
Q: Do you have a host family? Describe that experience?
A: It is pretty awesome. I am very fortunate to have such a kind and generous host family. They are from the Boston area. It is only about 15 minutes away from where I play baseball. I am very fortunate to be hooked up with a host family that is so nice.
Q: What's different in your part of the country compared to Mississippi?
A: The food is different. In Mississippi there is more flavor to the food. Up here the food is a little plainer. There is more industry in the area I am in, so there are a lot of buildings. Starkville is a small college town, so there are not too many big buildings or industrial areas. There are a few more people up here as well. Being on the water is a little different than Starkville because you are four hours away from water there. As we speak I am looking out the window and can see the harbor and the ocean. There is a pretty amazing view here.
Q: What do you miss most about Starkville?
A: I think I miss playing in front of thousands of fans every weekend. Out here there are still fans and they are pretty loyal, but they are not anything like the Dudy Noble faithful. The fans back in Starkville are very energetic, and they really help you when you are sore and exhausted on a Sunday game. You do not really feel like playing as much as you did on Friday, and those fans can help you get through some tough games. They will always be there supporting you. Answering this question is making me wish it was next spring already.
Q: What are the team goals for the 2016 season?
A: Our goal has always been to go to Omaha and win. The year 2013 was my true freshman season. We went to Omaha and made it to the finals and lost to UCLA. We took that personally. There are not many of us from that team left. We all remember that feeling of losing and heartbreak. The guys coming in have not really felt that, and I think that will motivate the older guys as leaders to push them in the fall and the spring.
Q: What are your personal goals for the 2016 season?
A: My number one goal is to stay healthy and to be able to help my team every single day. There are some proactive exercises I do to prevent nagging injuries. You can do arm tear shoulder exercises so your arm does not hurt. That is a really important thing to me – making sure I am available to play every game. Fortunately, this last spring I was able to do that. As an older guy who has been here three years, I really want to step into a leadership position and help teach the younger guys.
Q: Who do you think is going to be a breakout player for MSU in 2016?
A: I believe it is going to be sophomore outfielder Brent Rooker. He is having an amazing summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Knock on wood, but he is in the running for the Triple Crown there, which would make him the first player in the history in that league to win the Triple Crown. He is a great athlete and an extremely hard worker. He actually lives a couple of minutes away from me, so I have been able to see him pretty often this summer. He is a determined guy and is very aware of himself as a player. I would not be surprised if he has an amazing year next spring.
Q: What are your thoughts on the heralded 2016 incoming class?
A: I have heard they are pretty good. You cannot complain about a top-five recruiting class but at the same time you cannot put all your eggs in one basket. Obviously, there are some great players coming in, but at the end of the day they have to come together by Opening Day next year to help this team win. We all have to be working as one unit, and I am very excited to see what they have to offer to our team.
Q: How did you get the nickname 'Maple Hammer?'
A: I never had a nickname before I arrived in Starkville. I honestly think our in-house beat writer Bob Carskadon made it up one day when we were discussing the intricacies of Harry Potter as it relates to life. I guess it has caught on, because people up here are calling me by the nickname. I love it.
