Right-handed pitcher Jacob Gholston emerged as one of the top pitchers in the country despite not receiving a Division-1 offer until August of 2022. Gholston started his high school career at shortstop before devoting his time to becoming a pitcher only. He told The Crimson Captain about the move, "Shortstop definitely helped a lot in pitching. When I focused on being a P.O. in high school, being a P.O. and being an athlete were really different, but I learned they were not that different. You have to be more of an athlete on the mound. When I transitioned, my arm slot was much higher on the mound than when I was a shortstop. I worked on lowering my arm slot and being a lot more athletic on the mound, which helped me out a lot." Gholston primarily throws three pitches: a four-seam fastball, a circle-changeup, and a slider. His fastball tops at 94 mph, circle change at 83-84 mph, and a slider at 79-81 mph.
At the beginning of last summer, Jacob Gholston had no college offers. Then, he started working with his pitching coach, Alex Marney. Marney also worked with Jackson Jobe, the 3rd-overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. Gholston went from throwing 86-88 mph to what he is at now, 94 mph, after working with Marney, "He tweaked some stuff and worked on the mental game. From there on, every week, it progressed just a little more. Topping out at 90 made the JUCO's start to offer, and then a few D1's. It just ramped up progressively. I wanted to wait out for OU." Gholston waited for OU to offer, and then the Sooners finally did. Jacob Gholston made his way to Norman for a visit. "I came down here, talked to Skip and all the coaches. I just really saw the culture here and realized that this is a place I need to be at."
Jacob Gholston went (12-2) with 111 strikeouts in 87 innings and a 0.96 ERA at Flower Mound, leading the Jaguars to the 6A State Title. Gholston's impressive senior season earned him the Dallas Morning 2023 baseball Player of the Year and an All-PBR team selection. Gholston talked to the Crimson Captain about winning the State Championship in his senior season, "That was one of the best teams I have been on in my life. It was super special, especially when we got to the state tournament. I was warming up for that game, and I got hurt in warmups and couldn't throw. My guys were there for me, and they just picked me up at that time. We won a State Championship, nothing else really mattered."
Jacob Gholston moved into Norman the Friday before the MLB Draft. Gholston told the Crimson Captain that despite getting the phone call from the Milwaukee Brewers, "I got the call, and I was sitting in my room and was like; I don't know if I want to leave. I called Coach Skip Johnson and Coach Gaines, and they reassured me of my decision to stay. I think it is better for me to be at OU. I think I can progress a lot better, and the outcome will be a lot better for me." Gholston is "still very grateful" for the Brewers drafting him in the 17th round.
At OU, Jacob Gholston has had an exciting summer. "The PT guys have been getting me right, and the strength coaches have been getting me stronger. It has been really enjoyable."
Gholston is looking forward to the opportunities at Oklahoma, "I'm going to work my hardest to take advantage of those opportunities. Skip is one of the best pitching coaches in the country and one of the best head coaches. I know whatever he has, it will be best for this team." Gholston told the Crimson Captain what he would be: "A guy that really enjoys the game; I'm out there smiling, having a good time. I'm able to recognize that I am given opportunities and talents that not everybody has. Not everybody is allowed to play baseball at a D1 level. I'm very grateful for it." Jacob Gholston sees some similarities between him and Jacob deGrom, "We have similar body types and arm slots, we act similar on the mound too, not a lot of emotion unless you have to have it." Although Opening Day is a ways away, the Sooners' pitching staff is well-positioned for the upcoming season, "this is a really good pitching room that we have, everyone is focused on getting stronger and bigger."
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