Walker Jenkins' talent, trust put South Brunswick into NCHSAA 3A baseball title series

Walker Jenkins is used to it by now.

Even on a South Brunswick High School baseball team with three Division I signees as teammates, the junior outfielder is a marked man by his opponents.

After all, if you can get an out against a potential 2023 first-round MLB draft pick and USA national team member, it’s something to remember, right?

“Yeah, I think teams want to get me out. That can be an energy killer sometimes,” he said this week. “But I try to look at I as, I will do everything I can for us to win, and if I can’t do it, I’ve got guys to back me up.”

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The outs, however, haven’t been that frequent, and his teammates have more than picked up the slack as the Cougars have stampeded to the NCHSAA Class 3A state championship series this weekend vs. South Rowan.

South Brunswick (24-3) has ripped through its six playoff games, outscoring opponents 46-5. The Cougars have gotten contributions up and down the lineup, but it starts with the man batting No. 2.

In those six games, he’s reached base 15 times in 23 plate appearances and scored 10 runs. Five of his eight hits are for extra bases – including a home run in the third round against Croatan that might have reached Highway 87.

Those gaudy stats are a continuation of a standout regular season. Heading into Friday night’s Game 1 at Ting Park in Holly Springs, Jenkins leads the team in: plate appearances (104), runs scored (45), hits (42), RBIs (37), extra-base hits (24), walks (22), home runs (10), on-base percentage (.630) and OPS (1.716 — no that's not a typo).

“I definitely want to go out and do everything I can do and do my best,” he said. “But baseball’s not a one-man sport. You gotta have trust in your teammates. You can go out, hit the ball as hard as you can three times, and maybe you’re out all three times. That’s why you have to have faith in them.”

Coach Mike Anderson has seen Jenkins embrace that attitude all season. His ability to get on base and give teammates a chance to succeed has bred confidence up and down the lineup.

ECU signee Cameron Burgess follows in the lineup and is batting .412; and Banks Hartman has only struck out four times in 93 appearances while batting .388 in the cleanup hole. Hitters at the bottom of the lineup are getting on base frequently, too, which means pitchers can’t pitch around him.

“He’s understood that he’s gonna have to be patient, and that the guys around him could pick it up,” Anderson said. “If they are gonna walk him, here comes (everyone else).”

With his national-level experience, Jenkins has already seen a lot, when it comes to baseball. He’s been sharing any little tip he can remember in the right moments as the Cougars try to claim a second state championship in program history.

“I’ve played all over the place and done a lot of different things,” he said. “But this has been a ton of fun.”

NCHSAA Class 3A Baseball State Finals

At Ting Park, Holly Springs

South Brunswick (24-3) vs. South Rowan (28-5)

Game 1: Friday, 5 p.m. (South Rowan home team)

Game 2: Saturday, 11 a.m. (South Brunswick home team)

Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, 5 p.m. (South Rowan home team)

Tickets: Available through the GoFan app or GoFan.Co.

Dan Spears is the sports editor for the Wilmington Star News, and Southeast Regional sports editor for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at Dan.Spears@StarNewsOnline.com or on Twitter @DanSpears.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Walker Jenkins trust, talent put South Brunswick in NCHSAA state final