Marcus Jackson was much like many other American boys growing up. He played tee ball then moved up through the ranks and has finally made it as a college baseball player. However, it didn’t always seem as though Jackson would be the player he is today.

“He wasn’t even projected to start this year,” head baseball coach Jimmy Schmitz said.

Jackson has been here for four years. Schmitz said he always knew Jackson had the talent to be a top tier player, but he had some swing problems when he first got here that kept him from hitting.

“We saw a flaw in his swing and he just worked on it and worked on it until he got it right,” Schmitz said.

In Jackson’s college career, he has gone from starter to role player to starter to injured. He played in 13 of the Panthers’ first 14 games last season until suffering a season-ending hamstring injury against Saint Xavier.

Jackson got off to a slow start this year and his former roommate and teammate, Chris Uhle, knew that if Jackson didn’t stay loose, he would have a hard time getting out of his slump.

“When he doesn’t get a hit, he gets tense,” Uhle said. “Sometimes I have to lighten things up a little and have some fun with him.”

Now Jackson has his swing right and it seems as though he is on a mission to hit the baseball.

Two weekends ago in a double header against Tennessee-Martin, Jackson went 7 for 8, boosting his batting average 80 points.

“He’s always had the stick, he just had some problems with his swing early on,” Uhle said. “But now he’s got it.”

Tuesday against Western Illinois, Jackson didn’t start the game, but he entered in the sixth inning and got what turned out to be the game-winning hit.

Jackson wasn’t always sure he wanted to be a baseball player. In high school, he lettered in baseball but he also lettered in basketball and football.

“When I was little I wanted to play basketball but at six-foot-one, I thought baseball would be my best bet,” Jackson said.

Jackson graduated from Thornwood High School in 2000 and played basketball with Chicago Bulls center Eddy Curry.

“I quit basketball after my junior year because Curry was taking all the shots,” Jackson said jokingly.

Although Jackson didn’t play basketball his senior year of high school, he didn’t give up on football – part of the reason was his father.

“My dad played football at Grambling State and then went on to play semi-pro ball,” Jackson said. “He pushed me to play football but in the end, he left it up to me and supported my decision to stick with baseball.”

Being from South Holland in Chicago’s south suburbs, Jackson’s favorite professional team is the White Sox.

“Growing up I loved Robin Ventura,” Jackson said. “He had an amazing swing.”

Jackson’s stroke isn’t quite as sweet as “Sweet Swinging” Robin Ventura’s, but it gets the job done.

“In batting practice Jackson just hits rods over the fence,” Uhle said. “We went to this pre-draft camp and the guy up before Jackson hit one homerun with a wood bat. He went up there and hit eight.

As Jackson goes, so do the Panthers.

“He’s just a true team guy,” Schmitz said. “He’s had his ups and downs but I haven’t heard one gripe out of him, which is rare these days.”