After a record setting 10 players signed four-year scholarships last year, the Wallace Govs have had their first player from the 2024-25 class sign. Sophomore pitcher Jake Middleton from Smiths Station has signed to play for the University of South Alabama in Mobile.

"It held a lot of value that they took a shot on me while I'm still hurt right now," Middleton said. "There's been a lot of stories and proven facts that a lot of guys take longer to come back from an injury like this. It was better to take what I had in front of me instead of taking a chance and having to risk of not having my velocity back in the spring and I ended up in a situation where I had no offers."

Middleton has a partially torn UCL with an internal bruise.

Last year, Middleton was one of the best pitchers in the state. With a fastball that averaged between 88-90 miles per hour, he led the state with 74 strikeouts and an earned run average of only 1.91. He was named 1^st team All-Conference and he was twice named ACCC South Division Pitcher of the Week. Before the injury, Middleton had drawn interest from Auburn, Alabama, UAB, East Carolina, Coastal Carolina, and South Carolina. While the others decided to take the "wait-and-see" attitude, South Alabama went ahead and pulled the trigger.

"They had eyes on me last year and got to see my potential," Middleton said. "It held a lot of value to me and my family that, not only did they offer, but they are offering me a pretty good amount of money even though I can't participate right now."

Middleton's current coach Ryan Ihle said the Jaguars are getting a workhorse.

 "They're getting an absolute quality pitcher," Ihle said. "Jake was a huge piece for us last year and the reason we had so much success because we were able to hand the ball to him every seven days. He was a tremendous competitor and still is a tremendous competitor. They're getting someone that will continue to work and give them quality innings on the mound."

Middleton said he's not going to overpower a lot of guys. But he has three pitches that he can throw for strikes at any time and he knows exactly where each one of them is going, He believes that is one reason he hit it off with Jaguars pitching coach Matt Hancock.

"He is phenomenal. He came from North Alabama and Troy and he was with the Padres for a little bit. Now he's at South. When I went on my visit I had like an hour meeting with him and everything he said just clicked. It was a bond between us."

Before heading to South Alabama, Middleton said coming to Wallace and going the junior college route was the greatest decision he's made in his life.  

"You get way more one-on-one coach time, as opposed to going to a four-year school and redshirting. You're just wasting a year where you're basically doing nothing but going to school. I think the JUCO route is honestly the best thing any high school kid can do unless they're above and beyond everybody else."