
An offseason spent in weight room continues to pay off for Plano's Jason Phillips. ‘Honestly my biggest focus.'
After already making a name for himself in his first two years on the varsity, Plano's Jason Phillips came up with a singular goal to work on heading into the offseason.
The junior shortstop wanted to take the next step athletically to continue his upward trajectory.
'That was honestly my biggest focus,' Phillips said. 'I wasn't really worried about anything else other than getting in the weight room.'
The results?
Not only is he off to another monster start offensively, collecting his 100th career hit earlier this week, the 6-foot-1, 226-pound Phillips even shifted to short after playing first base last spring.
With that in mind, Phillips led the Reapers to a 9-3 nonconference win Friday at Somonauk. He had three singles, a steal, a run and an RBI along with making a dazzling play in the hole at short.
Braylon Schmidt earned the win for the Reapers (6-14). He threw a complete game, allowing three unearned runs on one hit. Amari Bryant, Jake Dixon and Jackson Gates each had two hits.
Noah Brandt produced the lone hit for Somonauk (8-8).
Plano coach Nate Hill, meanwhile, has been impressed with Phillips' physical transformation.
'Coming into last year he wasn't necessarily someone we would stick in the middle,' Hill said. 'He got a lot more athletic, quicker and stronger. He's somebody that puts the work in.
'He committed himself to the weight room in the offseason, and it's definitely paying off for him.'
Indeed, Phillips leads the Reapers in most offensive categories. He's hitting .464 with 18 runs, 14 steals, six doubles, two triples, two homers and 17 RBIs. He's also 2-3 with a 5.75 ERA.
Making those statistics all the more impressive is the fact Phillips was expected to deliver for Plano — and he's done just that.
'There's a lot of pressure on him to be 'The Guy,'' Hill said. 'We lost 11 seniors. Him taking over that role as the leader of our dugout, leader on the mound and leader in the field is huge.
'We definitely have expectations for him, and he's lived up to them.'
The other pressure Phillips feels is external. Phillips is the No. 75-ranked junior in Illinois according to Prep Baseball Report, yet he remains uncommitted to a college.
He referred to that process 'pretty slow right now.'
'Honestly, I just try to block it out,' Phillips said. 'At the end of the day, it's just a game. I just try to come out here and give my best effort and have fun. That stuff is going to happen.
'Hopefully, after the summer, it will pick up. I'm definitely trying to play Division I. Wherever it takes me; I'm willing to play wherever.'
Plano jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning Friday to set the tone, but Somonauk responded. The Bobcats couldn't get any closer after cutting the lead to 6-3 at one point.
'We're not a team that's going to go quietly into the night,' Somonauk coach Troy Felton said. 'We've hung with a lot of bigger schools this year, just haven't had quite enough to put them away.
'They will rise to the occasion.'
On the mound, Phillips can hit 90 mph on the gun. Sometimes, control eludes him, but Hill is being patient.
'He brings velocity,' Hill said of Phillips. 'When he's throwing strikes, he's tough to hit. There are times he can still get wild. When he's in the zone, he's darn near unhittable.'
Just like his patience with his college search, Phillips knows that aspect will come.
'I think consistency is the part I need to work on,' he said. 'I think it's just the mental part.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Centerville High School softball finishes runner-up in state championship
Centerville High School ended its softball season with an incredible run in the state tournament. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Elks lost to Lebanon High School, 3-1, Sunday night in the Division I state softball championship. Advertisement Centerville finished runner-up in its first trip to the State Final Four. TRENDING STORIES: The Elks fell behind, 2-0, after the Warriors scored twice in the first. Chloe Jett led off the fifth inning for Centerville with a triple and scored on an RBI groundout to cut the deficit in half, 2-1. Lebanon added an insurance in the sixth to increase it to 3-1 and never looked back. 'What an amazing season! The bar is raised,' Centerville Athletics said on social media. 'History is made. The next generation sees what is possible. So proud.' OHSAA official Tim Stried said this was the first time two teams from the Southwest Ohio District met in the Division 1 Softball finals, according to the Lebanon Athletic Department. Advertisement Centerville finished the season with an 18-14 record. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]


Fox Sports
7 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Giants trade struggling 1B/OF LaMonte Wade Jr. and cash to Angels
Associated Press ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels acquired veteran first baseman and outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. and cash from the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. The Angels will send cash or a player to be named to San Francisco for the 31-year-old Wade, who had been with the Giants since 2021. The team designated him for assignment last Wednesday. Los Angeles right-hander Michael Darrell-Hicks was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Wade batted .167 with one homer and 15 RBIs for the Giants this season, his struggles culminating with a 2-for-17 performance on the team's most recent road trip. Wade hit a career-high .260 last season, and he gained a reputation in San Francisco for clutch late-game performances. The Angels currently have Nolan Schanuel at first base and six outfielders on their major league roster, but some have position flexibility. Angels general manager Perry Minasian and Giants general manager Zack Minasian are brothers. ___ AP MLB: recommended
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Red Sox Get Encouraging Update on $120 Million Free Agent Signing
Red Sox Get Encouraging Update on $120 Million Free Agent Signing originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Boston Red Sox may be getting the spark they desperately need, with star third baseman Alex Bregman making encouraging progress in his recovery from a right quad strain. Advertisement Bregman, who landed on the 10-day injured list on May 24, has begun a running progression and is currently traveling with the team for their series against the New York Yankees. Though the injury was initially described by manager Alex Cora as 'significant' and similar to the quad strain that sidelined Bregman for over two months in 2021, signs point to a faster recovery this time around. Tim Heitman-Imagn Images 'If it's up to him, he'd be playing tonight,' Cora joked ahead of Friday's series opener in the Bronx. 'He's locked in. He has his date on his mind. We just have to keep working. Obviously, we don't want to rush, and we have to be very diligent with it. But he's feeling great.' Cora admitted the rehab process has gone better than expected, though he declined to reveal a target return date for Bregman. The three-time All-Star was playing like a true centerpiece before the injury, slashing .299/.385/.553 with 11 home runs, 17 doubles, and 35 RBIs across 51 games. His .938 OPS led Boston at the time of his injury. Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million contract with Boston this offseason and had been a stabilizing force both offensively and defensively at third base. Advertisement His absence has been felt, with the Red Sox going 3-7 in their last 10 games and falling to fourth place in the American League East. They now trail the division-leading Yankees by 9.5 games but sit just 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. Related: Former Red Sox Fan Favorite Defends Alex Cora Amid Poor Start This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.