The young ace could touch 88 miles per hour.
Jacob Clark was still months away from his junior season of high school baseball. He had yet to commit to a college. But he was showing during those fall league outings in 2017 just how daunting of a matchup he’d be come spring. Division I schools were circling.
Then came tightness in his left forearm.
He had gained about four miles per hour on his fastball in just two weeks, and the strain started to take its toll. But as the pain intensified he remained silent. He wanted to play.