Former University of Rhode Island standout has found his stroke in Florida after starting at Single-A Fredericksburg …
WASHINGTON – Jackson Coutts said he hasn’t made a lot of changes at the plate.
But the results have certainly been much better for the first baseman/designated hitter from the University of Rhode Island.
In 65 at-bats over 19 games with Single-A Fredericksburg, the Maine high school hit product hit just .154 with a homer and eight RBIs.
In his first 65 at-bats in the Florida Complex League, over 18 games, the slugger batted .431 with a homer and 12 RBIs.
He was 3-for-4 on Thursday with a double against the Marlins.
“Trying to do too much is not a good recipe for success,” Coutts told Federal Baseball on Thursday about first pro stint after he signed as a non-drafted free agent with Washington in 2020. “You have to stay within yourself and trust in your abilities.”
“Everything seemed like really fast, seeing what the pace of the game was like,” he said of low Single-A.
“I got out of control a little bit. I was surprised how much time we spent at the field every day; I knew it was a lot. It is a long time, but it is a whole lot of fun.”
Among his teammates in Florida have been second baseman Darren Baker, the son of former Washington manager Dusty Baker; and shortstop Brady House, the first-round pick of the Nationals out of a Georgia high school earlier this year.
“He has serious pop,” Coutts said of House. “Darren is a really good guy; he is fun to talk to. He is a real genuine guy.”
House, a Georgia resident, hit an opposite-field homer against the Mets that drew the attention of Coutts. “Whoa,” the URI product said to himself when House went deep.
Coutts hopes to finish strong then plans to do an internship in New York this fall that would complete his requirements for a degree in kinesiology from Rhode Island.
“They throw pretty hard compared to what I saw in college,” he said of Single-A pitchers earlier this year.
“I am still trying to make adjustments on the fly with my first year of playing pro ball. I am super thankful to be here. It is definitely a good challenge and I love a good challenge.”
His mother, Lynn, works in athletic administration as the Deputy Athletic Director at the University of Denver. His father, Mike, is the former softball coach at the University of Maine and recently became the coach at Division II Colorado School of Mines. His mother played softball at Maine and his father was also a baseball coach at the school.
Mike Coutts also coached baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
“I am extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to be the next head softball coach at Colorado School of Mines,” Mike Coutts said last month on the Colorado School of Mine website. “I appreciate David Hansburg’s faith in me and want to thank him and the search committee for all their hard work and commitment through the hiring process. I’m looking forward to contributing to the already-impressive athletic department and having Mines softball help the department win a sixth straight RMAC All-Sports Competition Cup.”