Tuscola sophomore Jack Sutton is a corner infielder for the East Cobb (Ga.) Astros.
WAYNESVILLE – Jack Sutton may be the best young high school baseball player in Western North Carolina that no one has heard of.
Time, along with a little good health, should change the whole landscape for the Tuscola sophomore.
The East Cobb (Ga.) Astros are not in the habit of inviting just anyone to join them, after all. The Astros sit in the heartland of showcase ball for the Southeast region.
And the sacrifices that Sutton and his family have made the past two years with East Cobb are great. It’s about a six-hour round trip for the Suttons to join the showcase organization at its home base.
Herein is where Jack Sutton shines, because he knows a thing or two about long roads. The corner infielder definitely traveled one last spring, sitting out all but one game of his freshman year at Tuscola with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
His left knee has healed from a basketball injury, and Sutton is now showing what he is made of.
He has been selected to no less than eight all-tournament teams this summer with the Astros. Some of their bigger games have been broadcast on ESPN’s family of networks.
“I just tried to keep my head up through (the knee injury) and work as hard as I could,” Sutton said.
“It was tough, but I was just trying to be there for my teammates and cheer for them. This summer has been really good. I’ve been playing against some high-quality baseball teams and just trying to make myself better. Every team you play is good, that is about the only thing that doesn’t change.”
Sutton will be part of a Perfect Game invite-only event in Fort Myers, Fla., starting Monday.
The basketball injury has not made the Mountaineers’ 5-foot-10, 195-pound multi-sport athlete gunshy at all. He will continue playing basketball.
“I play point guard, and being able to bounce back has been great,” Sutton said.
More on this story to come….
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