In late August, Hokes Bluff Athletics added a new chapter to its history books and — on behalf of its baseball program — retired its #16 jersey in honor of former Eagle Jake Ball and his accomplishments.
The decision to retire the number comes after Ball broke many records throughout his high school career, and even afterwards during college, while also demonstrating the Hokes Bluff standards of “excellence, leadership and integrity.”
The Hokes Bluff athletic program stated that retiring the number from its baseball team — and effectively cementing its legacy “alongside the very best that have ever walked Hokes Bluff’s halls and stepped onto its fields” — is the “highest possible honor” that they can present to anyone.
Ball’s time wearing #16 for Hokes Bluff’s baseball team was accomplished. As a sophomore in the 2001 season, he earned 4A First-Team honors as a designated hitter while leading the Eagles to a semifinal playoff berth.
The 2002 season saw Ball anchor the infield on the way to an appearance in the state finals. He hit a.490 and earned first-team honors at the county, area and state levels across all classifications. Ball was the Gadsden Times Offensive Player of the Year, and he even received an invitation to play in the prestigious North/South All-Star Game, during which he earned MVP honors after going 4-4 with a double and a home run.
Ball was able to top it all off in 2003 by leading Hokes Bluff to a 4A state title. He repeated his appearance on the First-Team All-County, All-Area and All-State teams. He was the Class 4A Player of the Year and finished runner-up for the ultimate crown of Mr. Baseball in the state of Alabama. That season saw him hit .485 from the plate while also pitching his way to a perfect 10-0 record, featuring a microscopic 1.21 ERA. He was also named Etowah County’s Player of the Year, making him one of very few athletes to earn that honor in three different sports in the same season.
After high school, Ball signed a Division-1 scholarship to play baseball for Jim Case at Jacksonville State University. In 3 of his 4 seasons as a Gamecock, JSU won their conference championship. They also earned two berths in the NCAA Tournament. Ball earned All-Conference honors in 2005, 2006, and 2007. When his JSU career ended, he was the school’s all-time leader in hits, games played and games started while also ranking in the top ten in RBIs, doubles, runs scored and walks.
Ball wore #16 with pride and brought immense honor to Hokes Bluff and his community because of it. As a permanent testament to his legacy and a reminder of the school’s values, his number was retired, and his jersey was subsequently framed and displayed at Hokes Bluff High School.
