Jacob Melton doesn’t care about individual performance, all he cares about is getting wins for his South Medford Panthers squad, “…I like to do whatever it takes to help the team win every game possible, no matter what that means.”
However, from Melton’s play this year that doesn’t seem to be the case. The kid is coming off a 9-for-13, three home run, including a grand slam, eight RBI, and six steal performance last week at, “The Coach Bob Invitational,” in Phoenix, Arizona. His play lead his team to a 3-1 record against some of the best competition on the west coast. The Panthers started the invitational off by defeating Palmer high school (AZ.) 10-0 and followed it up the next two days with a 8-0 win over Senior Charter high school (CO.) and a 19-11 victory over Desert Valley high school (AZ.). The Panthers ended the invitational on a sour note, with their only lost on 5-2 victory for Liberty high school (IL.).
The Junior center fielder felt that Arizona was a great test for the team. “It was a great experience to play in a tournament out of our home state, we faced some good teams and had some good competition. Arizona was great because I feel we bonded as a team and are playing for each other now!”
In more recent play, the Panthers are coming off a tough 3-1 loss to Sheldon, where Jacob went 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored. Currently, South Medford is ranked 19th in OSAA rankings, and sixth in the Southwest conference. The Panthers are looking to bounce back from their recent losses with a double header at Roseburg this Saturday.
Despite a couple early losses, Melton has high hopes for this Panthers team. “We have some climbing to do in the standings, but it’s early. I’d really like to see ourselves in a conference championship game at the end of the season…”
It is clear that Jacob is one of the leaders of this South Medford team, leading them in runs scored (16), hits (16), home runs (5) batting average (.571), RBIs (13) and stolen bases (15). To say that he means a lot to his Panthers squad is an understatement. “He (Jacob) plays centerfield for us, but was also an all-league first baseman as a Sophomore. He hits in the lead off spot and also pitches. His value to the team is indescribable, with his speed and power he is truly an impact player,” according to South Medford’s head baseball coach Ray Smith.
Jacob is no stranger to the baseball field or the South Medford program. He has been playing baseball since the age of four and in the South program since 9 years old. “I have been involved with coaching Jacob since he was nine years, in the junior Panthers program. He has always shown a ton of potential from a young age. He has always shown a ton of potential from a young age. He has a rare combination of athleticism and power, that is rare these days. His dedication to the game and academics has truly helped him become a better player and I look forward to see him reach his incredible potential,” according to Smith.
Melton is a standout in the classroom as well as the baseball diamond. “Jacob is a good example of a true student athlete. He is enrolled in A.P. classes and is an honor student. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to watch such a great young man grow up, said Smith. He does plan to play baseball after his high school days are over, but being a junior isn’t too concern with where he might be playing. Just focused on getting wins for his team. Besides basketball Melton is an avid fisherman and hunter. He also finds time to bowl for South Medford as well.
