Name some college baseball players who are equally productive at the plate and on the mound.
The options are slim.
But Florida A&M has one in junior left-handed pitcher and designated hitter Jackson McKenzie.
“He can play first base, too,” head coach Jamey Shouppe told the Tallahassee Democrat. “Pleased with Jackson McKenzie. Glad he’s an addition to our program.”
McKenzie joined the FAMU Rattlers baseball team this season after stints on the Southeastern Conference level at Mississippi State and junior college Gulf Coast State.
The Pace native, now in Tallahassee, is less than three hours away from his hometown, allowing his family to see him often. His sister, Shelby, is a sophomore utility player for the Florida State Seminoles softball team.
Shouppe sold McKenzie on committing to the Rattlers by offering him the chance to be a two-way player as a pitcher and batter. McKenzie’s favorite hinges on whichever one he’s currently performing best.
“He was going to give me ample opportunities to prove myself ― pitch the most and hit the most that I can,” McKenzie recalled the recruiting process. “It’s fun striking people out, and it’s fun hitting homers. Pressure’s a privilege. Not everyone has the opportunity to show that they can do both at the collegiate level.”
On the mound, the 6-foot-3 and 220-pounder has pitched 29.2 innings and has a 2-0 record. Defensively, McKenzie holds a .914 fielding percentage and two double plays.
At bat is where McKenzie leads FAMU’s statbook.
He tops FAMU with a .386 batting average, which is in the top 30 in the NCAA Division I as of May 12. The slugger’s 10 homeruns are FAMU’s best and also tied for fifth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
McKenzie’s 39 hits are fifth on the Rattlers.
For his efforts, the College Baseball Foundation named him one of 15 semifinalists for the 2026 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.
“I hold myself to a very high standard. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t expect this from myself,” McKenzie said.
Jackson McKenzie a leading batter, assists FAMU baseball’s top pitching
Led by ace pitcher Caleb Granger, the Rattlers have the second-lowest earned run average in the SWAC, at 5.96. They have also allowed the fewest hits (382) and the second-fewest runs (293).
McKenzie has appeared in 13 games as a pitcher.
Three weeks ago, he helped the Rattlers avoid a sweep against defending SWAC Champions Bethune-Cookman with a high-scoring 15-13 win on April 26. McKenzie allowed the SWAC’s team hits leader only to have two hits at his expense.
“Jackson has been pivotal to our pitching success this year,” said FAMU’s pitching coach Jeremiah McCollum. “We wouldn’t be at the top of the SWAC without his efforts. He should be considered for the conference player of the year.”
McKenzie hasn’t pitched since May 1 at Grambling State. The 90 MPH thrower has battled some “arm tenderness,” Shouppe said.
But he’s remained a consistent hitter, picking up five in the Rattlers’ most recent sweep at Alabama A&M. McKenzie hasn’t had a hitless game since April 24 against Bethune-Cookman.
“I still think there’s more on the mound than what we’ve seen,” Shouppe said. “I thought his forte would be more pitching. And he’s done better hitting, which is good in a sense. He’s coming into his own, knowing his role. First, it was more pitching, then he really started getting hot offensively. So now he knows he’s going to be a dual role guy for us.”
Jackson McKenzie’s FAMU baseball stardom starts with multitasking
Typical preparation revolves around bullpen training because it is strenuous, McKenzie says.
“I try to and plan everything around bullpens or what days are going to line up for me to pitch,” McKenzie said. “And I’ve definitely been able to grow a lot over the last three years. I put a lot of pressure on myself my freshman year at Mississippi State and last year, thinking that I had to do everything perfectly in my plan up to go-time.”
He’s committed to the plate and the mound.
FAMU’s longtime hitting coach Brett Richardson has closely watched McKenzie’s juggling act.
“A lot of guys, if they’re going to gravitate from one to another, they’ll spend more time with the one they’ll lean towards,” Richardson said.
“For him to be a pitcher, he still came in and got his work in as a hitter. The more he came in, the better he got. I think he just needed somebody to love him a little bit and give him some confidence. Once he had that, everything just took off.”
Jackson McKenzie chasing the MLB after FAMU baseball career
Next, McKenzie is tasked with facing the fifth-best SWAC pitching team, Texas Southern, in a weekend SWAC regular finale series at FAMU’s Moore-Kittles Field from May 14 to May 16.
The Rattlers (24-22, 19-8 in SWAC) are currently third while the Tigers (21-19, 15-9 in SWAC) attempt to rise from No. 6.
McKenzie usually bats fourth in the Rattlers’ lineup. If McKenzie pitches against Texas Southern, he will face the SWAC’s top-hitting team.
“I tell you, he’s been an absolutely pleasant surprise for us and a stabilizing force in the middle of our lineup,” Richardson said of McKenzie’s batting. “I don’t think we would be where we are right now without him.”
As the SWAC playoffs approach, McKenzie’s main objective is to win a league title for the Rattlers and advance them to the NCAA Tournament’s Regional Round.
After that, being a pitching and batting force may lead to a Major League Baseball career if he decides to forgo his senior year to enter the 2026 draft this summer.
“He does have a good arm. He can pitch,” Richardson said. “But I’m a little partial to the bat, so I think that if given the opportunity at the next level, if they allow him to swing the bat, they’ll be pleasantly surprised too.”
McKenzie is regarded as one of the SWAC’s top MLB prospects. But for now, he’s focusing on producing on the field and letting the chips fall where they may.
“You have a good year, and everything else is going to follow,” McKenzie said. “Just go have fun. Whatever is going to happen, God is going to let it happen that way. I’ve just been able to have a lot more fun and do the best for my team this year.”
Florida A&M vs Texas Southern ― SWAC Baseball
All times Eastern, and games will be shown on SWAC TV
Gerald Thomas, III, is a multi-time national award-winning reporter for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Jackson McKenzie gains national buzz as FAMU baseball’s Shohei Ohtani
Reporting by Gerald Thomas III, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
