Born on April 8, 2002, in Yakima, Washington, Jackson Van De Brake has baseball in his blood. His father, Kevin Van De Brake, played two years of minor league baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies organization after playing college ball at Loyola Marymount. Following in his father’s footsteps, Jackson has made a name for himself as a top-tier college baseball player.
Van De Brake’s high school career at West Valley High School was nothing short of impressive. Under the guidance of coach Ryan Froula, he earned first-team all-conference honors as a sophomore and junior, and he was a three-time first-team all-league football player. Van De Brake also excelled in basketball, earning four letters and serving as team captain for both the football and basketball teams during his senior year.
Tacoma Community College (2021-22)
After graduating high school, Van De Brake took his talents to Tacoma Community College, where he played for two seasons. In 69 games, he posted a .331 batting average (79-for-238) with 19 extra-base hits, including 15 doubles, three triples, and one home run. Van De Brake was also a menace on the basepaths, going 35-for-38 in stolen base attempts. He registered 19 multi-hit games, collected three hits in a game seven times, and scored 72 runs while drawing 53 bases on balls and driving in 30 runs.
In 2022, Van De Brake earned Second Team All-Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) and First Team All-NWAC West Region honors after slashing .286/.451/.383 with 18 RBIs, 11 extra-base hits (eight doubles, two triples, one home run), and 25 stolen bases.
University of North Carolina (2023-present)
Van De Brake’s success at Tacoma Community College caught the attention of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, who welcomed him to their team in 2023. As a junior, he wasted no time making an impact, starting in 57 of 58 games at second base. Van De Brake led the team in on-base percentage (.439) and ranked second on the team in multi-hit games with 20. He was one of the three players on the team to draw over 40 walks (41) and ranked fourth on the squad in batting average (.307), hits (67), and doubles (15).
Exciting things are in store in 2024 Van De Brake as he was also featured in D1Baseball’s Fall Report of Tar Heel baseball.