What do you think the chances are that a player that didn’t start on his high school varsity baseball team until his senior year would one day get drafted and be heading off to Major League Baseball’s Spring Training?
Chances are that anyone in Vegas would have given you about any odds that you would have wanted for that to happen.
Hendersonville High School and Vol State alumnus B.J. Jenkins defied those odds last season when he was drafted by the San Diego Padres.
For Jenkins baseball has always been his love.
He began playing the sport when he was five years old and now 18 years later he finds himself living a dream that very few people ever get to see come to fruition.
The road from Sumner County to Peoria Arizona, the site of Spring Training was a very interesting one.
Jenkins grew up in Hendersonville and went to Ellis Middle School.
After moving up to Hendersonville High School, Jenkins played for head coach Mike Hendrix and was a part of some talented Commando teams.
“I really had a lot of fun playing for coach Hendrix,” Jenkins said.
“He was a great coach and was really laid back and we really had a lot of talent on the team.”
The 2000 edition of the Black and Gold squad finished second in the state to Murfreesboro Oakland.
After finishing his high school career at Hendersonville, Volunteer State head coach Jeff Smith talked to Jenkins about walking on to the Pioneer program.
After a year of playing Jenkins was awarded a scholarship.
As a closer Jenkins was throwing at around 85 to 87 miles per hour.
One afternoon in the bullpen, Smith asked Jenkins to try a different approach in his pitching mechanics.
Rather than just throwing sideways, Jenkins tried coming a little more over the top.
The change was quickly evident.
His speed jumped to more than 90 mph.
The jump caused word to spread about his skill and that he might be able to play a bigger school once he finished at Vol State.
Word got around about Jenkins stuff and he was able to pitch in front of some college and professional scouts.
At the tryout, Jenkins hit 94 mph, and that had the scouts buzzing.
After discovering another notch in his pitching Jenkins then went to Trevecca.
Head coach Jeff Forehand needed a closer and found his man in Jenkins.
In his junior season Jenkins was used some in the pen, but was pushed into the role of a starter.
In his senior year everything came together for Jenkins.
“My senior year everything just seemed to click,” said Jenkins. “I began to not just focus on my speed and velocity but on really how to pitch.
“I think I became a more complete pitcher and I had a really great year.”
Great year would would be a bit of an understatement.
Jenkins finished his senior year with a record of 7-4 and an ERA of 1.70.
In 80 innings he had 115 strikeouts, compared to just 10 walks.
After his successful season Jenkins was selected to the All-American team.
He was one of four pitchers on the Trevecca squad that garnered such a distinction.
Scouts were beginning to talk about Jenkins and teams ranging from the Pirates, Cardinals, Braves and many more were interested in his services.
Teams were talking to Jenkins and saying that he might go in the first day of the draft which would be in the first 17 rounds.
The first day came and went and he did not receive a phone call from anyone from the big leagues.
On day number two Jenkins began to get a little anxious.
But in the 28th round Jenkins received a phone call from Billy Merckel in the San Diego Padres organization.
When asked where he was when he got the phone call from the Padres Jenkins remembers it vividly.
“I was driving past Rivergate Mall when I got the phone call,” Jenkins said with a smile.
“I was so excited that I pulled over in the parking lot to talk on the phone.”
Most people want to share the good news with their family and friends, but Jenkins had trouble doing so.
“It was the craziest thing no one would answer the phone,” Jenkins said, with a laugh.
“I called my family and some of my friends but just kept getting their voicemail.”
He finally got a hold of his family and friends and when he did they realized that his dream had come true.
The call came on June 7, and soon after he headed off to rookie ball.
His draft round had a little bit of significance, as he wore the No. 28 in both high school and in college.
Jenkins spent last season with the Peoria Padres, a low Class-A affiliate in Illinois.
Some people say that the minors are a drag, but not Jenkins.
“It was so much fun,” said Jenkins.
“It was a totally new experience and I loved every minute of it.”
“All of the guys that are out there are so talented.”
One of the highlights for Jenkins came on the mound during the season.
Jenkins was in the middle of an outing and former American League MVP Juan Gonzalez came to the plate.
“Gonzalez was on a tear against us,” Jenkins recalls.
“He had gone something like eight-for-ten in two days.”
Jenkins fanned him in four pitches garnering a wink and an encouraging remark from the slugger.
“That was probably the highlight of the year,” Jenkins said with a smile.
Another highlight was getting to meet and be around Padre and ex-Atlanta Brave player Ryan Klesko.
“He is a really nice guy,” Jenkins said.
“I had seen him on TV growing up, so you didn’t know whether to call him Ryan or Mr. Klesko, but he was really nice.”
Jenkins believes he progressed a lot in his first year and knows that will help him in year No. 2.
“I think I know have the ability to mentally prepare,” said Jenkins. “I can fix things on the mound and I know how to adjust.”
Spring Training began last week for Jenkins and it will continue for five more weeks after that.
Jenkins will probably spend the season in Fort Wayne, Ind., the site of the Padres high Class-A team.
Jenkins is defying the odds one pitch at a time.
Guess he proved that it doesn’t really matter when you start your career, but rather how you finish.
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