By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

One of the goals that drives Jack Eye is that he wants to be a better baseball player than his father.

That is not the easiest goal to achieve considering his dad Jake Eye starred at Windham, then Ohio University, before being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft and spent two years in the minors playing for the Ogden Raptors in the Pioneer League.

Whether or not his son’s baseball career reaches all of those pinnacles is far from Jake Eye’s worry.

Deep down, he knows that his son’s pushing to be the best version of himself possible and that is all he is trying to support.

“Every father wants their child to be better than they were,” said Jake Eye, who is the Bombers’ baseball head coach. “In anything, no matter what it is. You want them to succeed. For Jack to say that he wants to be better than I was, that is just the competitiveness in him. He wants to be that guy for his teammates. Now, is he going to get those opportunities? Possibly. To further his career like I did? Maybe, but it will need to be his choice of path. For me, I dedicated my life to that path.”

Right now, Jack Eye’s path includes completely dominating his opposition.

At this point in the season, it would be difficult to find a player who goes 3-for-5 at the plate and actually loses points of their batting average.

Jack Eye, a junior, is one of those players.

In a 14-6 victory over Badger last week, Eye’s big game that included a home run, triple, single and two RBI dropped his average eight points.

Eye’s season numbers include a .689 batting average, with 31 hits, eight doubles, three triples, two home runs, 21 RBI, 26 runs scored and 21 stolen bases. Five of those (average, hits, doubles, triples and runs) lead all players in Portage County. He also has only two strikeouts all season in 60 plate appearances.

“Jack has always been a good hitter, but this is the best he has been at the plate in his career,” Jake Eye said. “I know sometimes there is a belief that numbers are skewed one way or another, but I can honestly say that he is legitimately hitting the ball for those numbers and nothing is skewed.”

It is not just all about hitting for Jake, though.

He is a dominant presence on the mound, leading the Bombers in wins (3), strikeouts (46), innings pitched (25.0) and earned-run average (2.52).

“He is just a throwback-style player. It is as simple as that,” Jake Eye said. “He just reminds me of one of those great players from back in the day that just loves to play the game, will throw their body all over the field to help their team. He will get dirty, he will risk his body … just whatever it takes, he is there. He is tough as nails, and I say all of this as his coach, but more importantly, as his dad. I see what he does, and I probably don’t give him enough praise that I should.”

Jack Eye isn’t worried.

He plays baseball because he loves the game, and he loves sharing and creating memories with his father.

“I remember falling in love with baseball early, and I love the challenges it brings because it is not always an easy sport,” said Jack Eye, who has already earned two of the three certifications he needs to become a certified welder. “I love that I get to share it with my dad, too. When I am up to bat, and I look down to him at third base, I am focused on the game and the situation, but I am always thinking, too, that I am not going to get these days back. I am not always going to get to play for him, and I want to cherish every moment that these games are giving us together.”