Kendall following Jeter to Trine

Friday, May 19, 2017
North Putnam’s Jackson Kendall (center) signed his national letter-of-intent on Friday to play collegiately for Trine University. He was flanked (from left) by his stepmother Lisa Kendall, father Bob Kendall, mother Becky Fouts and stepfather Dan Fouts.
Banner Graphic/JOEY BENNETT

Ex-teammates, good friends set to reunite

ROACHDALE — It’s always nice to have someone you know around when high school seniors go off to college in a new place.

For North Putnam’s Jackson Kendall, the familiarity will be even better than usual. Kendall, the top pitcher for the Cougars this season, signed his national letter-of-intent on Friday to play college baseball next spring at Trine University in northeastern Indiana.

One of the freshman players for Trine this spring was 2016 Cougar grad Kyler Jeter, son of Kendall’s high school coach and one of his best friends.

“It was a beautiful campus, and it’s a great place,” he said. “They have a great baseball culture, and it’s going to be fun. The people there were very friendly.”

Kendall obviously asked Jeter his thoughts on the Trine baseball experience, and he got good enough reviews to want to join the Division III Thunder program.

“I asked him what was different between high school and college baseball, and he said everybody is there to win and the level of commitment is higher.”

Kendall is excited to rejoin his former teammate, and has not yet decided on a major.

For now, Kendall and his teammates are focused on winning the sectional title that escaped them last year, when the Cougars lost 2-0 to state-ranked Rockville in the championship game.

They close out the regular season today by hosting Fountain Central for a doubleheader, and will begin sectional play at South Vermillion on Memorial Day against the winner of a first-round game between Cloverdale and Southmont.

North Putnam lost a 4-0 game to Southmont in the first week of April, and has split a pair of games with Cloverdale this season.

Jackson Kendall gets ready to turn loose a pitch in the 2016 sectional.
Banner Graphic/JOEY BENNETT

Kendall is coming off his best pitching performance of the season against Cloverdale on Tuesday, in which he pitched the Cougars to a 4-3 win in eight innings. He had 14 strikeouts in that game.

North Putnam coach Brian Jeter feels Kendall has had an outstanding season, and knows more good things are on the horizon as this season plays out.

“He’s leading us in every category that we have this year,” Jeter said. “Against Cloverdale the first time, he had the win against them but we had to finish up with some younger guys and we let it get away from us.

“In the last game against Cloverdale, Jackson was just outstanding,” Jeter said. “Jackson also won a big game for us in the county tournament against South Putnam as well. He’s been our most dominant pitcher.”

Kendall has a 2-1 record this year in seven pitching appearances with a 0.90 ERA (four earned runs in 31 innings).

Opposing batters have only gotten 22 hits off the right-hander, and he has struck out 40 batters while walking just 10.

Kendall admits his hitting hasn’t been as good this year as he had hoped, but he has contributed two doubles, two triples and nine RBI among his 10 hits.

Jeter is sure that Kendall will fit in at Trine.

“He’ll make an immediate impact in Trine’s pitching,” Jeter said. “I’ve been to a few of their games, and he’ll be able to step right into their pitching rotation.”

Kendall has been recruited as a pitcher, but has been told he may also play some first base.

The Thunder finished 19-18 this year in sort of a rebuilding year, Kendall said.

Trine competes in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, whose other members include Adrian, Albion, Alma, Calvin, Hope, Kalamazoo, St. Mary’s and Olivet.

Trine and St. Mary’s, which is located in South Bend, are the only two non-Michigan colleges in the nine-team league.

Kendall said that Friday was a special day for him.

“I’ve had a dream of being a college baseball player for a long time,” he said. “It was really cool to finally be able to sign the letter.”

Jackson Kendall watches a pitch go into the catcher's glove during the county tournament last month.
Banner Graphic/JOEY BENNETT
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