TY JERRELL
Pocola Indians
By Buck Ringgold
Ty Jerrell is always on the go when it comes to sports.
Right now, the Pocola junior’s focus is on baseball, where he is primarily a pitcher. But Jerrell also plays football, basketball and golf for the Indians.
Again, his full attention is on his baseball exploits, and it is right up there with football in terms of his favorites to play.
“My favorite sport to play is either football or baseball,” Jerrell said. “I like the competition when I’m pitching and I like football because I love contact.”
Jerrell has played varsity baseball for three years, and has liked the way his junior season is transpiring.
“It’s going pretty well so far,” he said. “We are playing lots of competition to help us out for the end of the season.”
When Jerrell did find the time in between baseball seasons, he spent it refining his pitching style.
“This offseason, I was working hard on my splitter pitch and trying to get my velocity up,” Jerrell said.
He’s hoping to help the Indian baseball team experience the same success the football and basketball squads have had in recent years. Jerrell was part of the Indian football team’s first-ever trip to the state semifinals this past fall, and in his freshman and sophomore years, the basketball team reached the state championship game.
“Playing sports for Pocola is an honor,” he said. “I’ve watched this town through its ups and downs. And now that we’ve had a lot of success in all sports, I know the expectations is winning.”
That love of winning was cultivated by many people in Jerrell’s inner circle.
“My key influences have been my parents and my coaches,” he said. “My parents have taken me all over the country to do what I love doing, and I’m very appreciative for that.”
Jerrell already knows what he wants to do this summer in preparation for his senior year at Pocola.
“My plans entering this summer is to put on weight and be more elusive,” he said.
For now, though, Jerrell’s full attention is on baseball and trying to get the Indians similar postseason success as their football and basketball counterparts.
“My goal the rest of this baseball season is to make a state title run and dominate on the mound,” he said.
