Ex-Yosemite High, Fresno City star aiding Michigan’s NCAA baseball run

Former Yosemite High and Fresno City College baseball star Jackson Glines wanted a chance to get out on his own when he left two years ago for the University of Michigan.

The change of scenery did nothing to slow his run of success in the sport.

Glines was named to the All-Big Ten Tournament team, scoring a run in a 4-3 victory over Maryland in the championship game. He will lead Michigan into its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008 on Friday, with the Wolverines facing Bradley in the Louisville Regional.

It wasn’t only on offense that Glines gained notice at the conference tournament. He made a spectacular play a week ago Wednesday that was ESPN SportsCenter’s Top Play. In the top of the first, the center fielder sprinted toward the wall and left his feet to make an all-out diving grab to rob Indiana’s Nick Ramos of extra bases.

Glines also was an All-Big Ten first-teamer during the regular season and the conference’s player of the week for March 2. A year ago, he was on the second team.

This season, Glines is batting .359 and has 13 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 34 RBIs. Those numbers compare favorably to what he did in his final season with the Rams in 2013, when he hit .373 with 10 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 29 RBIs.

The Bee’s Anthony Galaviz caught up with Glines this week ahead of the start of the regional run.

The Bee: It’s been a very consistent year for you. Named all-tournament, first-team, Big Ten player of the week. What's been working for you all season?

Glines: Just going up there and sticking to my approach, put the barrel on the ball every single time. Defensively, just fly around on defense and try to catch everything and not let the ball fall.

What did you work on in the offseason to get yourself ready?

I played in the Cape Cod League this past summer and just played against the best Division I players and the top guys that are going to get drafted. Facing 90-95 mph everyday. Left side, right side, good movement and stuff like that. Really helped me in the box. Just learning more stuff defensively. Just being around good athletes and Division I players all the time kind of stepped up my game as well. That benefited me very well.

Tell me your biggest highlight of this season.

Obviously the Big Ten championship. We’re still on a high on that one. It’s unreal … good ’ol fun time right there. During the season I would have to say … I don’t know. Bunch of good ones. We took 2 of 3 from Maryland when they were ranked. We beat an Iowa team that was ranked at the time. Beat Oklahoma State, who was ranked 13th at the time. We had a bunch of good wins this year. Overall a fun year.

Now you’re batting third in the order after batting in the two hole and cleanup. How was that adjustment to move around in the order?

I was getting on base a lot, so they stuck me in the two hole. Our three hitter was off-and-on hurt so I had to hop into the three hole and there's another kid in the bottom of the lineup who's getting on quite a bit. It wasn’t as big as a need for me to get on base any more as it was to drive guys in.

You chose Michigan over other schools. Why the big change to Ann Arbor?

I wanted to get out and check out the world. Check out the Midwest. Live on my own. See some good football … so many things. Education was part of it.

Speaking of football, has coach Jim Harbaugh been out to your games?

Yeah. I forgot who we were playing. I want to say Iowa at home. He was warming up our closer in the bullpen. We played catch between innings …me and the right fielder, and I throw the ball all the way into the bullpen and he caught it. That was pretty cool.

This story was originally published May 28, 2015 at 11:07 PM with the headline "Ex-Yosemite High, Fresno City star aiding Michigan’s NCAA baseball run."