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Jackson Feltner’s level of play at Morehead State has been hotter than an Arizona desert.
When the Eagles first baseman received word about his next baseball destination, the team and the location seemed fitting.
The Arizona Diamondbacks came calling on Monday night during the Major League Baseball Draft and selected Feltner with the 11th pick of the eighth round.
Feltner said he had dreamed of playing professional baseball and it became reality with a ring of his phone.
“It was an unbelievable moment for me and my family,” Feltner said. “It’s kind of unreal to consider that it was even a possibility. It’s just the way it happened.”
“It was hard to fathom at the time what that call meant to me,” he added. “It was great to see all the hard work that I have put in culminate in that call (on Monday night). It’s just now starting to settle in and it’s pretty unbelievable.”
Feltner concludes a stellar and successful career at Morehead State. The Eagles won their first outright regular-season Ohio Valley Conference title since 1979. Feltner was named to the All-OVC First Team in all three seasons at Morehead State. He batted .348 and hit 14 home runs along with 47 RBIs. He led the team in batting average for the third straight season.
He became the 29th player in OVC history to hit 40 career home runs and was the first Eagle to earn the OVC Freshman of the Year honor in 2021.
Feltner’s career batting average of .376 puts him fourth on the all-time school list.
Feltner had one more year of eligibility left at Morehead State but felt like it was the right time to take the next step after spending his summer training and attending predraft workouts with the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants. He also attended the draft combine in Arizona last month.
“I think this was the best opportunity that I had to go play professional baseball,” Feltner said. “It’s been my dream my whole life. I felt like it was the best time to run with it.”
Feltner was named to the All-OVC Tournament team as the Eagles fell one game short of reaching the NCAA Tournament. He became the first Morehead State player to be drafted since 2019.
The junior’s eighth-round selection marked the second-highest player chosen since 1999. The Chicago White Sox took pitcher Jon Rauch in the third round. (Aaron Leasher went in the sixth round to San Diego in 2017).
Feltner said his physical attributes have enhanced his game during his college years as he prepares for a professional career.
“I think my body and my speed have improved a lot,” Feltner said, “as well as my defense. The defense has improved greatly since I came to college. It’s given me a good chance to play pro ball.
“It’s definitely been a big confidence boost to put up some of the numbers that I have. It’s good to get the confidence high going into this because it’s a different beast.”
Feltner is a former Lawrence County star. He lost his senior year due to COVID-19 but he batted .429 in his final season as a Bulldog. He recorded 13 triples as a junior and led the state with 14 home runs.
Feltner was awarded a spot on the Kentucky All-American Team by the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association.
Travis, his father and high school coach, is a KHSAA Hall-of-Famer. He said he still hasn’t come down after learning the Diamondbacks drafted his son. He was still feeling the joy and emotion the next day.
Travis Feltner’s diamond dreams also included pro baseball. But on that eventful Monday night, father and son shared the same dream–hearing Jackson’s name called.
“It is really undescribable,” Travis Feltner said. “When I was a little boy, like most little boys, all I wanted to be was a major league baseball player. I don’t know at what point in my life I realized that it wasn’t going to happen. I told Jackson that I was more excited (on Monday night) than if it would have happened to me.”
“As a dad, it was a roller coaster of emotions,” he added. “I’ve cried, I’ve laughed and I have smiled. To see your boy accomplish something like that and have this opportunity, it’s truly a blessing.”
Travis Feltner complimented Jackson’s character and work ethic and said “Everything he’s got, he’s had to work for. People that know him, it will be the first thing they say about him.”
Travis also credited Morehead State coach Mik Aoki for his development and for his dedication to recruiting in our area. Aoki moved on to be the head coach at Richmond next season after he was named OVC Coach of the Year in 2023.
“We are well past any advice I could give him,” Travis Feltner said. “He is in a whole new realm of what I never dreamed was possible. The main thing that I’ve told him is that you have been the hardest-working guy. When he went to college, you need to find the hardest-working guy and work harder than him. I talked to coach Aoki and from his testimony, I believe Jackson did that in the last three years. Be the hardest working guy and see where it takes you.”
Jackson has shared many special baseball moments with his father. He feels Monday night would not have taken place without his father’s inspiration.
“He’s really been a big part of this whole development for me,” Jackson Feltner said. “He has been there every step of the way. He’s really pushed me to be the player that I am today. Before I went to school, we wanted to see how good I could be. It has really stuck with me and continues to motivate me.”
Jackson Feltner is scheduled to fly to Arizona on Friday.
(606) 326-2654 |
msparks@dailyindependent.com
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