SCRIVNER, GRIZZLIES CLOSING IN ON POSTSEASON PLAY

Like the Johnny Cash song, “I’ve Been Everywhere,” Jackson Scrivner had traversed Florida, Alabama, Texas, Missouri and Arkansas before his first day of middle school. Orlando, Dallas, Gulf Shores, Destin, St. Louis, Muskogee. Gulf Shores, again. Scrivner hit the ground running when he was 8, submerging himself in a baseball journey that would land him at third base at Northside High School. Now, in the weeks left before he graduates from high school, Scrivner and the rest of his Grizzlies teammates are changing the culture. “It has been challenging for me at times,” Scrivner said. “My parents surrounded me with good players when I was little. My dad (Gabe) wanted us to be prepared for high school baseball as much as possible.” Scrivner’s senior leadership has spilled over to some of coach Brian Fry’s younger players, helping the Grizzlies finish the first round of 7A-Central play at 3-4 and in control of their playoff destiny. Scrivner has a genuine tone that others have picked up, players and coaches alike. “That pretty much sums him up,” Fry said. “He’s just as good of a person off the field as he is on. When he signed with Carl Albert (State College in Poteau), not only are they getting a great baseball player but a great person as well.” A catcher when he was younger, Scrivner’s long legs sent him to third base and to pitch. “At a younger age, I was at third, but I played some catcher, too,” Scrivner said. ”(But) as I got older, and puberty set in, my knees didn’t cooperate with me. I got tall and lanky, so I went back and played third base and pitched.” Anchoring third base alongside shortstop Grant Johnson, Scrivner makes the most difficult of plays look routine. Along with his team-leading .394 batting average and blistering .463 on-base percentage, Scrivner’s committed just six errors in the 24 games for a .902 fielding percentage. “Both of those guys have played tremendously, especially the first half,” Fry said. “Jackson settled into third base. I think he’ll be a good college third baseman, too. I think Carl Albert is getting a good one. “He has great instincts at third base; he really knows how to get it done.” Grizzly red Surrounded by great young travel ball players, such as Greenwood’s Peyton Holt and Blake Pschier, Springdale Har-Ber’s Kirby Jenkins, and Pottsville twins Mason and Rylee Huie, among others, Scrivner developed an appetite for baseball before he turned 10. “I was probably about 8 or 9,” he said. “We had a couple of years’ experience; we had fun and won a lot of games.” There was no denying where he would attend high school, either. “My dad went there (Northside) and my aunt (Amanda) went there; that’s where I was going,” he said. “I kind of grew up with it.” Scrivner played football at Ramsey, but knew his athletic path would be on the diamond. Good foundation Gabe and Stacy Scrivner are travel ball parents to the core. They sacrificed a lot to ensure Jackson had a good foundation. “My parents, they’re the ones that got me going,” Scrivner said. “Travel ball isn’t cheap, but it’s paid off so far. They’ve tried to keep me as humble as possible, and they’ve taught me to have a good work ethic.” Fry picked up on Scrivner’s work ethic early. “He’s a hard worker,” Fry said. “You can count on him to get his work in.” Coach ‘K’ First-year Northside volunteer coach Mark Kincannon has had a positive impact on Fry’s team, especially with Scrivner. “He (Kincannon) knows a lot about the game; he grew up around it,” Scrivner said. “He’s one of those guys that’s going to help you on and off the field — with life and everything else, too.” “He is very consistent in his work ethic,” Kincannon said. “He’s very level-headed when it comes time to respond to situations, whether it’s negative or positive. You have to stay in the middle; you can’t get too high or too low.” Scrivner did his homework as soon as he heard Kincannon was coming to Northside. “I’ve heard a lot about him,” he said. “I knew he was going to be a guy that was big on the little things. He’s not the biggest guy, but he worked hard and played on some good college teams.” Round two The Grizzlies (6-18 overall) dropped to 3-5 in conference play following Thursday’s 7-4 loss to Bryant. But Scriver believes the team has the right pieces in place. “Jake’s (Rincon) hitting and his defense has been sharp,” Scrivner said. “The same with Khaden (Washington) and (Kadin) Hyatt.” Just a sophomore, Washington has emerged as the team’s ace pitcher. “Khaden really came out of nowhere this year,” Scrivner said. “With eight returning starters, the overall experience has helped us a lot.” Closing time Now the fun part; closing in on a playoff berth. “To keep this going, we have to get at least three more wins, and I think that’s reachable at this point,” Scrivner said. “That’s our goal.” Jackson Scrivner’s been everywhere, as Mr. Cash sang so long ago. Maybe in May, that’ll include a trip to North Little Rock and the state tournament.

SCRIVNER, GRIZZLIES CLOSING IN ON POSTSEASON PLAY

KEVIN TAYLOR

Times Record | 4/16/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Brian D. Sanderford