{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Chasing Baseball Dreams","title":"31: Brian Jacobus | TCU Commit's Dad: Why High School Baseball Came First","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2570,"description":"Ben Jacobus started in center field, hit leadoff as a freshman, and helped Corona del Sol win the 2025 Arizona 6A state championship. Now he's committed to TCU.\nHis dad, Brian Jacobus, played professional baseball after being drafted by the San Diego Padres. He's coached high school baseball, run travel baseball organizations, and experienced the recruiting process firsthand as a parent.\nOne of the biggest takeaways from our conversation? Brian built Ben's baseball development around preparing him for high school, and he believes there are things high school baseball provides that travel ball has a hard time replicating.\nIn this episode of the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast, Brian shares the decisions they made along the way, including some he'd handle differently.\nIn this episode we cover:\nWhat Ben experienced winning a state championship as a freshman and why high school baseball was so important to his development\nWhat high school coaches look for when deciding whether a freshman is ready for varsity baseball\nWhy Brian believes choosing the right coach matters more than playing for a famous travel baseball organization\nHow Brian handled being both Ben's dad and his coach, including the mental side of the game\nWhy Ben reclassified from the 2028 to the 2027 graduating class, and Brian's concerns about holding players back to gain an age advantage\nHow TCU recruited Ben, what happened when other schools entered the picture, and why Ben ultimately chose TCU over Arizona State\nThe red flags parents should watch for before committing to a travel team\nWhy Brian believes families waste money on national tournaments and showcases before their sons are ready\nBrian also shares something he wishes he'd emphasized earlier in Ben's development, even with all his years of experience playing and coaching baseball.\nIf you're spending money on travel baseball, preparing your son for high school, or starting to think about college recruiting, this conversation will give you...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/q3rQG5ngcoyZtBBqydY-LYe-2NzrWpT_DUSzYHdnSkI/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS84Zjgy/ODMwMjJlOGEzZDUz/M2RjN2UzOGM3OWQy/NWI5Yy5qcGVn.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}