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Melton welcomes sophomore do-over at Oregon State By Kris Henry of the Mail Tribune Apr 08, 2020 04:28 PM A A Baseball and statistics often go hand in hand, but as Medford’s Jacob Melton proved this season, it doesn’t always have to be a numbers game if you’re surrounded by good people doing what you love. For the first time in his baseball career, Melton didn’t post at least a .365 batting average this spring. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder also found himself playing in half his games during his debut season at Oregon State University. But while the Beavers’ campaign ended earlier than hoped — like the rest of the nation due to the coronavirus pandemic — Melton chose to focus on all the positives when reached recently. “It was a really good experience,” said the former South Medford High standout. “We had a really tight-knit group. Obviously everything didn’t go as planned, but it was definitely great to be a part of such a close family up there (in Corvallis) and just get to keep playing baseball.” “It was amazing to have those opportunities that I’ve been working hard toward my entire life,” he added. “To see it culminate like that in the place where I’ve always wanted to be, it’s amazing.” After earning all-state accolades as a Panther and excelling with the Medford Mustangs, Melton turned one sensational season at Linn-Benton Community College into an opportunity this year at Oregon State. The Beavers were 5-9 in their first year with Mitch Canham at the helm and coming off a winless three-game homestand against UC Santa Barbara when their season was halted just prior to the opening of the Pacific-12 Conference season on March 13. “We went through some rough patches there at the beginning,” said Melton. “I think as a team we were kind of struggling to find our identity and what really fit us.” “The one thing everything boiled back down to, though, is just being a family,” he added. “I think that’s one of the things Oregon State has always been great about, everybody has been close and all their teams have been a family. This year we never got a chance to hit our stride, but I think we were really close to breaking through.” The same could be said for Melton himself. The left-handed outfielder started in three of his seven games played and accounted for one hit in 11 at-bats. He struck out six times for an .091 batting average. This for someone who batted .513 with 51 runs, 28 RBIs, 33 stolen bases and as many home runs (8) as he had strikeouts (8) during his senior year at South Medford as its leadoff hitter. Later that summer in 2018, he hit .494 with 66 runs, 63 RBIs, 10 home runs and 28 stolen bases for the state-champion Mustangs. At Linn-Benton in 2019, Melton was named to the all-NWAC Southern Region first team and earned a Gold Glove award in center field for the regional champion Roadrunners after batting .365 with 39 RBIs, 24 extra-base hits and 16 stolen bases. “For me this year, my biggest struggle was just swinging at a lot of pitches out of the zone,” said the 19-year-old sophomore. “Hitting is hard enough as it is but when you’re helping out the pitcher, it doesn’t make it any easier.” “Going up to the plate you want to do everything you can every AB,” added Melton, “so that was definitely part of it, and the transition coming from Linn-Benton, the arms are obviously a lot better here (at the Division I level). I think it was just all new, that was just the biggest thing.” The main thing for Melton, as well as Canham, is that the newcomer never failed to get right back at it with the confidence that everything would come around for him. “He’s progressing as he should and he’s working his tail off,” said Canham. “I think it was just because it was a small sample size, I wouldn’t look too far into it.” Having already seen what Melton is capable of during the fall baseball season and team workouts, Canham said he had no concerns moving forward had the season not been canceled. “Everyone knows how extremely talented he is,” said the coach. “You look at his overall athleticism and you watch him run, watch him jump and his reactions, and then watch him hit the baseball a mile, he’s extremely gifted and he loves the game.” “His makeup is something that just draws people towards him because he always has a big ol’ smile and he has a true zest for life,” added Canham. “As he continues to develop, this is someone who has the ability to do anything and everything. It’s exciting having someone like him in the clubhouse with us.” It is equally exciting for Melton to know that the NCAA will not punish players during this shortened season by charging them a year of eligibility. Melton, as well as all of his peers, will be able to pick up next year with their same amount of college eligibility remaining should they choose. “I just feel like it’s a fresh start,” Melton said of retaining his sophomore status for the 2021 season. “I get to step back and learn from this year and know that it doesn’t really have any huge impact on what’s going to happen to me moving forward.” “Going through a year at Oregon State, minus playing half our season, I get all that experience and get to be better,” he added, “and then get to come back next year and be in the same shoes I was here in the fall, just a lot more prepared.” Canham said there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered when it comes to how the NCAA’s ruling impacts spring programs, as well as if and how the Major League Baseball draft will be handled for those players and recruits who are draft eligible. Oregon State has three seniors and 11 juniors on its current roster. “You do what you can to plan ahead,” said Canham, “but the reality is right now there’s not a lot you can do until you get the full scope of what’s happening. We’ve talked to all our guys and what we can control is getting better each and every day and making sure we’re making progress toward our degrees because, as all of us just saw, baseball can end at any given moment and it’s important for us to further our education.” Melton said the OSU coaches have done an excellent job of helping players understand their situation and creating constant dialogue to help them get through this unusual time. The Beavers get together each day as a team through Zoom meetings, sometimes also in position-specific groups, to discuss educational points, break down baseball rules and generally try to increase everyone’s baseball I.Q. during this unexpected hiatus. “They’re all great dudes,” said Melton of OSU’s staff. “Obviously nobody’s excited that this happened but our whole mentality since it has happened is to keep working and keep bettering yourself and just come back better than we were. We didn’t show up like we wanted to this season so this is almost a gift to step back and refocus and better all of ourselves for when we come back in the fall.” That extra bit may prove vital when you consider the collegiate landscape may be its most daunting in 2021, with upperclassmen likely opting to stay in college and forego what is expected to be a shortened MLB draft for 2020. “The joy about being around the guys we have right now is they love competition,” said Canham. “You look for the guy next to you being better because it pushes you to be better yourself.” “Having this time right now and how we use it is extremely important to move ahead of the competition and really just to better ourselves,” added the coach. “I think that’s what we’re really focusing on right now and we’re doing a good job of it.” For his part, Melton said he has never felt so comfortable in school as he is now taking classes that focus on his major area of study in OSU’s fisheries and wildlife sciences program. He’s also back in Medford, doing a lot of bodyweight workouts and running on his own to go with any skill work he can get accomplished at home. His goal is to add more strength and weigh around 205 pounds by the time he can return to Corvallis. “I’ve been eating a lot, that’s how I’m trying to get there, but it hasn’t been working out too well so far,” Melton said with a laugh. “I can’t gain any weight.” Whatever form Melton returns at for the Beavers, Canham said the team will definitely be interested to see what else he has up his sleeve after already serving notice that he is one to watch moving forward. “He’s a guy that everyone’s talking about when we go into a series,” said Canham. “Like, oh man, did you see him do that? Have you seen him make those plays? He has a quiet side to himself but he lets his play really be the voice.” “The ball will be hit and you’ll look up and say well that ball’s dropping,” he added, “and then all of a sudden he comes out of nowhere and makes the play. Or you’ll see him get in a rundown or something and, before you know it, if you’re not executing the right way he’s going to get out of it and find a way to score a run. He’s a threat in all parts of the baseball field so it’s very exciting to see him continue to develop.” Have a story idea? Reach reporter Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, [email protected] , www.facebook.com/krishenryMT or www.twitter.com/Kris_Henry Oregon State Beavers Jacob Melton (29) at bat during an NCAA game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Surprise Stadium on Saturday, February 15, 2020 in Surprise, Arizona. (Zachary Lucy Photography)