By T. Scott Boatright
One of Cedar Creek’s newest hardball Cougars already has a plan for his future in place.
Southpaw pitcher Jax Doiron, a senior transfer from Evangel Christian, signed Friday with Mississippi’s Hinds Community College to continue his baseball career.
According to prepbaseballreport.com, the 6-4 190–pounder can throw an 87 mph fastball with a 76.2 velocity range, 67-71 velo range and a 72-73 range on his slider.
“He’s a great athlete,” Cedar Cedar Creek coach Chad Yates. “He can still do so much. Development (at Hinds) will mean so much. He’ll probably put in 40 innings in the fall and then probably go back out and put in another 30 innings in the spring, so there’s a lot of development ahead.
“But he’s really what I think is just scraping the surface. I think he’s going to do some good things for us and Hinds. I’ve known him since he was 5 to 7 years old. I coached his dad. Jax has what we call projectibility. He has a future. He might go 5-7 innings (as a starter) or he might (play middle relief or close). But he’ll be good at whatever he ends up doing. He’s that kind of kid.”
Cedar Creek AD Gene Vandenlangenberg said he feels Doiron has a bright future ahead.
“Seeing him around campus, he represents Cedar Creek really well,” Vandenlangenberg said. “I know (Hinds CC).” Yates said. “He has a chance of going to college and playing college baseball and I just want him to know I/m proud of him, and congratulations.
Dorion feels he’s making the right choice.
“The campus was nice, the coaches were all nice — it just feels like the right place,” Jax Doiron said. “ It felt like Ruston to me. But two hours away, my family can come to games, it’s perfect.”
His father expressed simple pride during the announcement celebration, making sure to credit Jax’s — Whitney Doiron — for her part in her son’s success.
“Jax, I am so proud of you,” Ian Doiron said. “Not just because you’re signing today but because of who you’ve become through the whole process. We’ve watched you since you were in diapers just throwing a ball. We’ve watched you deal a lot with failure — you deal with failure a lot in baseball, that’s part of it. But we’ve also watched how you watched n to respond to it and we’re super proud of you. Your talent is a gift God has given you — your work ethic is a choice and you chose to work. And again, we’re super proud.”
Vandenlangenberg said the addition of Doiron’s to this year’s Cedar Creek baseball team shouldn’t be overlooked.
“I haven’t taught Jax,” Vandenlangenberg said. “I know his family and I’ve seen him walk around campus and he’s a well-mannered young man who represents Cedar Creek really well. And I know that Hinds has seen some talent in that left arm of his. So, he has a chance of going to college and pursue his dream of playing baseball and I just want to say, ‘Jax, I’m proud of you and I wish you the very best, and congratulations.’”
Yates said he expects Doiron to only get better and better even as his senior high season progresses.
“Last year was a small sample size,” Yates said. “He’s got so much upside as a lefthander who develops more and more every year. He’s a guy who’s gone and got an inning here and two innings there and continues to develop. I know that’s what Hinds sees. Each inning he’s ticked up a couple more miles an hour in velocity. I’m proud of him.”
