Long before he became a pitcher, Jacoby was just a kid with a glove, learning that success on the mound comes from more than just talent. It takes discipline and confidence.

Jacoby Brown, a junior at The Morgan School, started baseball at the young age of six, but it wasn’t until age nine that he began taking it seriously. From there, he had a lot of people influence his path as a pitcher, especially his father. “I felt like I was meant to be a pitcher. My dad really taught me how to pitch, and throughout the years, I had coaches like Mr. Brown and Mr. Neri,” Jacoby said.

Brown, throughout his baseball career, started throwing a ball in the backyard with his father, where his love of baseball was born. He played Little League growing up, where he would make his way to play travel baseball. Brown continued developing the fundamentals of pitching and sharpening his mechanics against tougher competition. Brown spent most of his free time at the baseball field working on his craft and pitching frequently to build consistency. “It was definitely a good start, but I wanted to get better.”

Last season, Brown, as a sophomore, was the 3rd pitcher in the rotation. His struggles came most during last year’s state tournament game against Classical High School. He admitted, “I couldn’t stay composed on the mound, I wasn’t able to focus, and it caused negative effects on my pitching and control.”

After that game, he made it a top priority to work on changing his mindset when he steps on the mound.

This season, Brown has taken a major step forward, especially in his physical and mental development. “I would not have been able to take this step if it weren’t for my family and coaches supporting me,” he said. Brown has pitched 26 varsity innings with 23 strikeouts and a 1.04 ERA (Earned Run Average), where Brown is ranked 3rd in the Shoreline for strikeouts and 2nd in the Shoreline for ERA.

What started as a problem of not being able to be composed on the mound quickly turned into a huge strength for Brown. He described the feeling as “tunnel vision,” adding, “it’s just the catcher, the batter, and me.” By working more quickly between pitches and avoiding hesitation. “Having good rhythm and focusing on the little things helped me out with my control and slowing the game down to stay composed on the mound,” Brown said, it’s now “second nature.”

He also focused heavily on getting in the weight room to improve stamina and velocity so he can stay in the game lo

nger while throwing the ball efficiently. Brown went to the gym almost every day, using a schedule he had created for velocity. He also researched proper recovery habits to stay healthy for each game without hurting his arm. “Once I took a step with my velocity from last year to this year, it gave me a huge advantage to compete against these harder teams we face,” Brown said.

Pitching comes with its own set of challenges, and for Brown, staying mentally locked in throughout the game is key. However, he credits his teammates for making that easier. “When you have a team so good behind you on defense, it’s really easy to stay focused,” he said. “I just throw the ball. Every pitch I throw, I know they’re going to go out there and make a play.”

The trust goes both ways. Brown describes his team as “one big band of brothers,” emphasizing the support system that exists both on and off the field. Whether it’s bouncing back from a mistake or staying composed in tough situations, he knows his teammates are right behind him.

Beyond his performance, Brown brings energy and personality to the team. While he enjoys joking around with his teammates, he knows when it’s time to focus and get to work. One of Brown’s coaches, Mr. Neri, sees that this season, composure is one of Brown’s greatest strengths. “His ability to stay on task the entire time really stands out,” Neri said. “It doesn’t seem like anything bothers him on the mound. And he throws a ton of strikes.”