Jeffrey "JR" Crain '26 Recruiting Profile

I have been playing baseball since I was 5 years old. Baseball has been my passion for my entire childhood. I have also participated in JV and Varsity basketball as a way to condition and engage with other students at my school. I have been acknowledged by my coaches as having a high baseball IQ and high integrity. I would describe myself as a team player who is persevering, and results driven.

I set personal goals and ensure that the tasks for my position are completed to the best of my ability, but I never lose sight of the fact that winning baseball games means all 9 players have to collaborate.  For example, my goal on my 15^th birthday was to gain lean body mass through nutrition and strength-training so that I was at least 175 pounds for my sophomore season.

I have learned so much about myself and about teams by playing baseball but the thing that sets me apart from most other players is that over the last several years of my education I have had a specific military emphasis that has impacted my mindset and pursuits.

In sixth grade, I enrolled in a private school that is a naval academy with an intense focus on college preparation, leadership skills, discipline, and fitness. The school is called Admiral Farragut Academy, and its motto is “success is never accidental.”

My parents and I knew that the strong academics at Admiral Farragut Academy would benefit me, but the large (36 acre) campus, diverse student body (the boarding students come from over 25 different countries) and U.S. Navy influences have made such a difference to me and my baseball career (both high school and travel ball).  This is because while every high school has team sports, the military backdrop at my school created a special focus on self-discipline, toughness, and unity in the baseball team. There is a reason a lot of my coaches and mentors repeated “leave no man behind” to us as we ran laps and practiced as a team.

Admittedly, Admiral Farragut Academy is not well known as a baseball power school. However, the elevated academics and leadership building created a unique and powerful high school experience for me. I have been able to condition and strength train in the off seasons and compete in the summer with other really excellent travel ball programs to ensure that I have a chance to reach my goal of playing college baseball. With each of those pieces, I feel I am ready to contribute to a college-level baseball program.  Even though my high school baseball experience has been more like a small military unit with a specific strategic goal for the greater armed forces, to me it was an opportunity to be on a small team with a big mission.