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Surber: Last Home At-Bat one to Remember

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McKENZIE — The date was May 9, 2016 when McKenzie High School multi-sport star Jack Surber signed with the Bethel Wildcat baseball program. His prep accolades read like a Who’s Who in athletics. He was a three-time 13 A All-District performer in baseball and basketball at McKenzie High. He was the district MVP in football for the Rebels. He was named a two-time team MVP in basketball and team MVP in football and baseball. He was a member of the 6 AA All-Region Basketball squad. He was also All-West Tennessee in basketball and football.
Surber had a career batting average of .365 and hit .440 his senior season at MHS. He had 30 RBIs on the year and over 80 in his career. He had a slugging average of .593 and an impressive on base percentage of .532. He had 21 career doubles, five career triples and two home runs. His slugging percentage against district opponents his senior season was off the chart at .765.
Surber has followed his prep exploits with an outstanding collegiate career. In 627 at-bats as a Wildcat, he has a career batting average of .293 with 124 hits and 59 walks. The Wildcat senior has 22 home runs and has driven in 115 runs. Surber scored 103 times and struck out only 23 times in his college career.
Surber’s senior season was an excellent one. He has 44 hits which is second on the team. He has a batting average of .324 in 146 at bats. Surber walked 10 times and leads the team in runs scored with 24 and runs driven in with 24. He is second in home runs with five.
With all these numbers and others that could be added the remainder of the post-season it will be the last ever at-bat at home Friday fans, family, teammates, coaches and even Jack himself will always remember.
Baseball fans will always recall Ted Williams’s last at-bat at Fenway Park for the Red Sox in 1960. The ‘Splendid Splinter” hit a homer in his last at-bat capping off his Hall-of-Fame career. Fans will always remember Derek Jeter’s last at bat at Yankee Stadium. Although it was not a homer, “The Captain” drove in the winning run with a RBI single to right in his last at bat at Yankee Stadium in 2014.

Surber’s last at-bat at the Kahlden Complex came in the seventh inning Friday night against Cumberland University in the best of a three-game MSC Tournament set. After the Wildcats had won game one all Bethel needed was another win to advance in the tournament. With the Wildcats trailing 5-4, the left-handed Wildcat standout delivered with a two-run dramatic shot to give the Wildcats a 6-5 lead. Fellow senior Giovannie Nieves followed shutting down the Phoenix in the eighth and ninth to pick up the save. Fellow senior Ruber Medina had hit a three-run homer earlier in the game. Another senior teammate, Antonio Costas was the winning hurler.
Coach Rusty Thompson talked about Jack, the big hit and the victory allowing his team to move on to the next phase of the tournament. “Jack has been a four-year starter who’s had some important moments but it’s hard to top his final at bat in his last game at home. I remember he and I talking prior to his last at bat about how he felt he was just not getting the result he wanted and wasn’t sure what was different. We spoke about just making sure he got extended through the ball. When I saw his contact on that pitch I don’t recall much else. I had seen that swing numerous times before and knew it was one that would travel. It was a really special moment for him and our whole team.”
Thompson added, “With Gio, you feel like games are really shortened. He’s just a different breed than most in late innings and his numbers support that. When I saw him face the first hitter in the 9th I was confident enough to just sit back and enjoy that last little bit. It was nice to just take it all in. Being the heroics we had from these COVID seniors it was just nice to really get to enjoy it.”
Jack shared his thoughts about the game and his career as a Wildcat. “I’ve always been a fan of the big moments. Opportunities like the one I had Friday night are the reason I play this game and the reason I returned for my 5th year. I was super excited that we had earned another series at home during the tournament, so being able to perform for my team in front of my family and friends for the last time was special. That is one of those moments you dream about as a kid when you’re playing in the backyard.” Surber added, “I’ve had thousands of at-bats in McKenzie in my life, but that is one that I will remember forever. I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity Bethel has given me to play here. I’m definitely going to try to make this ride last as long as possible to keep playing with my brothers.”
Jack, along with fellow seniors Sebastian Cortes, Costas, Nicholas Proto, Baylor Steelman, Randy Guevarez, Medina, Nieves, Chandler Harmon, Danny Lara and Cody Baker will try to keep the magic alive as the Wildcats meet Lindsey Wilson Thursday in the double elimination MSC Final Six.
More on the Wildcats at the MSC Tournament later at www.bethelathletics.com.