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Wichita State’s Alex Jackson started his swing in backyard batting cage

The batting cage served its purpose for Wichita State’s Alex Jackson, surviving line drives, wind, rain and Texas heat for more than a decade.

“Just some poles and a net,” Jackson said. “It wasn’t the best batting cage, but it worked. It stayed up just long enough, before I left for college.”

Jackson learned to hit in that batting cage, built by his father, Jerald, in the backyard of their house in Double Oak, Texas. He still learns from dad, a former second baseman at Texas-Arlington. Those lessons helped put Jackson, a freshman outfielder, hitting leadoff for WSU with a .