University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana UnLimited: Jake Hammond's Inspirational Journey
5/26/2023 3:01:00 PM | Baseball, Louisiana UnLimited
With his body slowly breaking down and his collegiate baseball career about to come to a close, Jake Hammond wasn't going to let anyone spoil a very special moment.
In Louisiana's home finale against Texas State on Mother's Day at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park, the tradition is to have the mothers of the Ragin' Cajuns Baseball players, coaches and support staff throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
With Hammond about to make his final start on the mound, and eventual final appearance in a Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns uniform, he relished the opportunity to partake in the tradition. Especially with that first pitch coming from his mother, Holly.
"Getting to do the first pitch on Mother's Day, I remember Cooper (Rawls) came up to me, because I was starting that day, and offering to catch my mom's first pitch," said Hammond. "I was like, no. Absolutely not. I wasn't going to miss this for the world."
The first pitch thrown by Holly Hammond was a strike and for the 23-year-old Hammond, who was eventually shut down a few days later due to lingering back issues, it was his latest successful chapter in overcoming the odds.
Growing up in both New York and North Carolina, Hammond had his struggles. Going to school where he was the youngest in his class, Hammond was bullied by his older classmates and lashed out at the way he was treated.
Dealing with self-doubt and self-motivation from school, it was at home with his mother and father, J.C., where he drew inspiration.
"She's obviously been the biggest influence, her and my dad both," Hammond said "Growing up, I got picked on a lot at school, and whenever I was at school it was miserable. But to come home to two loving parents every single day ... it was a world changer for me."
While living in Charlotte, N.C., it would be the challenges set by his mother, a high-ranking employee for Xerox, and the patience and love from his parents that would eventually build Jake's confidence.
"She'd work all day and then as soon as she was done, she'd immediately come and read out loud with me," Hammond said. "I'd have to read for an hour, out loud, while she did her work. Even in the middle of her work, she'd would stop me if I mispronounced something or tell me to slow down if I started reading too fast."
Some of his favorite books he would read as a kid included "Al Capone Does My Shirts" and Dan Gutman's "The Baseball Card Adventures." The openness and honesty from his parents would eventually progress as he slowly regained self-confidence in public speaking and being comfortable.
"She started to slowly build that confidence within me, that maybe I could be intelligent," Hammond, who earned his degree from UL earlier this month and will attend LSU Law School in the fall, said. "Honestly, it was a dream I had out of spite. I was like, I'm going to pick the hardest profession and everyone is going to say I can't do it.
"It seemed so far-fetched for awhile. My mom never gave up on me. My dad never gave up on me. And eventually, here we are."
By the time his Hammond family moved to Monroe, Jake was getting more comfortable with himself. A two-sport athlete at Monroe's Ouachita High School, Hammond was a four-time All-District 2-5A pick in football and two-time 2-5A selection in baseball while being named the school's valedictorian.
He would eventually land at national baseball power LSU-Eunice, but after two weeks on campus he nearly quit. With his bags packed for home, his parents would not allow him to quit. Hammond would ultimately talk to his pitching coach at LSU-E (Alan Orgain) where the suggestion of getting actively involved with the school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes would help.
With the support of teammates Dane Dixon (a former UL pitcher), Andrew Sheridan and Brennan Maddox, Hammond began to soak in the message from FCA and would make his mark as a leader – a role he would carry on the short trip to Lafayette.
His upbeat personality and leadership skills quickly made him one of the team favorites during Louisiana's run to the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Tournament title and subsequent NCAA Regional berth.
That would carry over into the 2023 season when he would be chosen as one of the six captains on the team and the ultimate Friday night starter.
"Physically it's been a constant battle after battle," Hammond said. "It's always been bigger than baseball and coming from a program like LSU-E, I never thought I'd be so close to a group of guys like this ever again.
"It got to the point to what I've been dealing with physically is the least I could do. I mean, I'd honestly lay it all down on the line for this group and they'd do the same for me. And that what makes this group special."
Which goes back to his Senior Day start for Hammond, who caught that pre-game first pitch from his mother before giving it his all for one inning on the mound. There was another point of emphasis which helped get him through his last performance – carrying the wish of his father for at least 10 years of having Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla" as his warm-up song.
"Whenever I got out there and I heard it, it definitely got me through that inning. Just all of the emotions of that day ... and we ended up winning. It was a beautiful day.
"Something that my mom and dad both said to me was, 'don't have any regrets about anything' and I can honestly say deep in my heart, I have no regrets."
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.
In Louisiana's home finale against Texas State on Mother's Day at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park, the tradition is to have the mothers of the Ragin' Cajuns Baseball players, coaches and support staff throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
With Hammond about to make his final start on the mound, and eventual final appearance in a Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns uniform, he relished the opportunity to partake in the tradition. Especially with that first pitch coming from his mother, Holly.
"Getting to do the first pitch on Mother's Day, I remember Cooper (Rawls) came up to me, because I was starting that day, and offering to catch my mom's first pitch," said Hammond. "I was like, no. Absolutely not. I wasn't going to miss this for the world."
The first pitch thrown by Holly Hammond was a strike and for the 23-year-old Hammond, who was eventually shut down a few days later due to lingering back issues, it was his latest successful chapter in overcoming the odds.
Growing up in both New York and North Carolina, Hammond had his struggles. Going to school where he was the youngest in his class, Hammond was bullied by his older classmates and lashed out at the way he was treated.
Dealing with self-doubt and self-motivation from school, it was at home with his mother and father, J.C., where he drew inspiration.
"She's obviously been the biggest influence, her and my dad both," Hammond said "Growing up, I got picked on a lot at school, and whenever I was at school it was miserable. But to come home to two loving parents every single day ... it was a world changer for me."
While living in Charlotte, N.C., it would be the challenges set by his mother, a high-ranking employee for Xerox, and the patience and love from his parents that would eventually build Jake's confidence.
"She'd work all day and then as soon as she was done, she'd immediately come and read out loud with me," Hammond said. "I'd have to read for an hour, out loud, while she did her work. Even in the middle of her work, she'd would stop me if I mispronounced something or tell me to slow down if I started reading too fast."
Some of his favorite books he would read as a kid included "Al Capone Does My Shirts" and Dan Gutman's "The Baseball Card Adventures." The openness and honesty from his parents would eventually progress as he slowly regained self-confidence in public speaking and being comfortable.
"She started to slowly build that confidence within me, that maybe I could be intelligent," Hammond, who earned his degree from UL earlier this month and will attend LSU Law School in the fall, said. "Honestly, it was a dream I had out of spite. I was like, I'm going to pick the hardest profession and everyone is going to say I can't do it.
"It seemed so far-fetched for awhile. My mom never gave up on me. My dad never gave up on me. And eventually, here we are."
By the time his Hammond family moved to Monroe, Jake was getting more comfortable with himself. A two-sport athlete at Monroe's Ouachita High School, Hammond was a four-time All-District 2-5A pick in football and two-time 2-5A selection in baseball while being named the school's valedictorian.
He would eventually land at national baseball power LSU-Eunice, but after two weeks on campus he nearly quit. With his bags packed for home, his parents would not allow him to quit. Hammond would ultimately talk to his pitching coach at LSU-E (Alan Orgain) where the suggestion of getting actively involved with the school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes would help.
With the support of teammates Dane Dixon (a former UL pitcher), Andrew Sheridan and Brennan Maddox, Hammond began to soak in the message from FCA and would make his mark as a leader – a role he would carry on the short trip to Lafayette.
His upbeat personality and leadership skills quickly made him one of the team favorites during Louisiana's run to the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Tournament title and subsequent NCAA Regional berth.
That would carry over into the 2023 season when he would be chosen as one of the six captains on the team and the ultimate Friday night starter.
"Physically it's been a constant battle after battle," Hammond said. "It's always been bigger than baseball and coming from a program like LSU-E, I never thought I'd be so close to a group of guys like this ever again.
"It got to the point to what I've been dealing with physically is the least I could do. I mean, I'd honestly lay it all down on the line for this group and they'd do the same for me. And that what makes this group special."
Which goes back to his Senior Day start for Hammond, who caught that pre-game first pitch from his mother before giving it his all for one inning on the mound. There was another point of emphasis which helped get him through his last performance – carrying the wish of his father for at least 10 years of having Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla" as his warm-up song.
"Whenever I got out there and I heard it, it definitely got me through that inning. Just all of the emotions of that day ... and we ended up winning. It was a beautiful day.
"Something that my mom and dad both said to me was, 'don't have any regrets about anything' and I can honestly say deep in my heart, I have no regrets."
Fans are encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.
For the latest updates on Ragin' Cajuns baseball, follow on Facebook (RaginCajunsBaseball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsBSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsBSB) or check RaginCajuns.com.
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