MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Columbia High School senior Luke Jackson is the starting third baseman on the varsity high school baseball team. Jackson has lived in Maplewood his entire life and baseball has always been a large part of that life and who he is as a person. In his time on the CHS baseball team, Jackson has been named to the second All-Conference Team, an Essex County Underclass All-Star and an NJ.com Hitter of the Week. He is currently co-captain of the team with Mike Roseman, Christian Pierre and Eliot Dix. Following graduation, Jackson will continue his baseball and academic careers at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa.
How did you get into baseball?
I started playing T-ball at 5-years-old. I was coached for many years by my dad, Jim Jackson, and by Lou Sartori, Ken Ives and Doug Sasfai. I always found myself to have a ball of some sort in my hand or something ready to swing. It seemed as if baseball was always just the sport of interest to me.
When not on the diamond, where are you most likely to be found?
When I’m not playing baseball, I am usually on the golf course with my dad or playing basketball with my friends.
What is your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject at school is probably psychology. I’m considering it as my major in college. I find it interesting to learn about human behavior, and I want to do something in life that will help others, and psychology seems like a good gateway to understanding people better.
Do you have any superstitions or rituals that you do before playing a game?
One superstition that I always do before I hit is tap the outside then the inside of home plate before setting up to hit. It was first started to give me the best plate coverage but now it has just turned into an every at-bat thing.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
If I could have one superpower it would be to teleport. After a long hot summer game, it would be ideal to just snap my fingers and be sitting on my living room couch.
What is your top baseball memory?
My top baseball memory would be on my 11th birthday when I hit a walk-off grand slam over the massive net that cascaded over the right field wall. It was the equivalent of the green monster in our 11-year-old eyes.
What is your favorite band or singer?
My favorite artist is Kendrick Lamar or Bruno Mars just due to their genuine love and passion for their music. They always seem to have fun and really enjoy the music that they make knowing that it makes so many people happy.
What is a fact about you that might surprise people?
One thing that people may not know is that I’ve had to make a lot of comebacks in baseball. I have had three surgeries that took me out of the game for extended periods of time and required a lot of physical and mental labor to get back to play again. Most people would not expect someone as young as me to have had to deal with issues such as these, but it has made me value hard work and really made me enjoy every game of baseball I play.
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