College football fans know all about Heisman Moments.
Daniel Jackson enjoys a ‘Golden Spikes moment’ as he helps Georgia to the MCWS
Georgia is headed to the Men’s College World Series, and Daniel Jackson helped send them there with some heroics
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
How about a Golden Spikes Moment?
If there is such a thing, Daniel Jackson delivered just that Sunday at Foley Field in Athens, as the Georgia catcher blasted a two-run home run in the top of the tenth inning to give the Bulldogs an 11-9 lead over Mississippi State, putting his team three outs away from Omaha.
Georgia closed out the game in the bottom of the inning, booking their spot in the Men’s College World Series.
Georgia entered Sunday’s clash needing a win to advance to Omaha, after Michael O’Shaughnessy’s heroics on Saturday, while Mississippi State needed a win to extend their season. While Georgia built a 7-2 lead after five innings, Mississippi State stormed back, eventually taking a 9-8 lead on Jacob Parker’s two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth, Parker’s second blast of the game.
But Georgia scratched out a run in the top of the ninth, as Brennan Hudson laced a single to right-center to bring Kenny Ishikawa around to score, tying the game at 9-9 and setting the stage for extra innings.
That set the stage for Jackson.
After Tre Phelps reached on an error to lead off the inning, Jackson came to the plate with nobody out and Phelps on first as the potential go-ahead run. All Jackson did was “feed the trees,” sending a blast to deep left field for his 31st home run of the season:
Georgia closed things out in the bottom of the tenth to book a trip to Omaha.
For Jackson, it is the latest epic moment in a season filled with them. He not only secured SEC Player of the Year honors, but he also became the first catcher in SEC history to enjoy a 25/25 season, as he finished the regular season with 27 home runs and 25 stolen bases.
Jackson is also just the sixth player in college baseball history to reach that mark.
He also won the SEC triple crown, the first catcher and just the third player in conference history to achieve that feat. He is one of several semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award, given each year to the most outstanding player in amateur baseball. And in July, he is expected to be an early selection in the MLB Draft.
But first, a trip to Omaha awaits.
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