April 27, 2010
Lefthander Michael Jacobs leads by example. With the Hawkeyes in the second half of their season and their destiny in the conference in their own hands, leaders are valuable.
“I am a very quiet guy, as most people know, so I try and lead by example,” Jacobs said. “I just show up everyday with a good attitude and work extremely hard.”
Quiet. A word used by most people to describe Jacobs. Another is leader. The lefty is one of three seniors on this year’s squad and has been voted to the team’s unity council three times.
“Mike is a silent leader,” said Head Coach Jack Dahm. “He doesn’t say much but he leads by example. Mike is a very valuable guy to have on the staff and if he’s not the hardest worker I have ever coached, he is in the top five. He is as committed as they come.”
Committed is yet another word constantly used to describe the Lenexa, KS, native whether it is the coaching staff or his peers.
“Mike is a person that I feel any pitching staff would benefit by having,” sophomore pitcher Phil Schreiber said. “He’s the most committed, hard-working individuals on the field and in the weight room. Every one of us benefits from having him because we learn the right way to approach the field and the attitude we should have each and every day.”
The southpaw has worn many hats in his four years at Iowa. He is a versatile pitcher who has contributed as both a short or long reliever, as well as starter in his four years. In fact, Jacobs has had two of Iowa’s biggest victories in recent years.
“Some of my best experiences as an Iowa baseball player are when we have really played well and knocked off some premier teams in the country such as Vanderbilt and Louisville,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs has made 15 appearances this season, which ranks second on the team. He has primarily been used as a situational pitcher, boosting the Hawkeye bullpen in his final collegiate campaign.
Besides a plethora of feats on the field, Jacobs has excelled in the classroom as well. The senior is a two-time academic all-Big Ten honoree.
“Academics are very important to our team and are heavily stressed,” he said. “We can only play baseball for so long, so it will be nice to have something to fall back on, and we are fortunate enough to receive such an education from a prestigious institution such as the University of Iowa.”
With several achievements in an Iowa uniform, as well as the utmost respect from his coaches and peers, Jacobs looks to finish out his career at Iowa as a team player–with only unselfish goals.
“Being a senior and my last year at Iowa I would really love for the team to achieve its full potential,” added Jacobs. “The only individual goals I have for this year are doing whatever I possibly can to help the team win games.”
Jacobs will likely see action on the bump in tonight’s game against Nebraska and/or tomorrow’s contest at Creighton. Iowa hosts the Cornhuskers at 6 p.m. tonight at Duane Banks Field. Fans are encouraged to “Be Bold and Wear Gold.”