Zach Jackson

AUSTIN, Texas — Zach Jackson was about as close to the World Series as a player can get — he just couldn’t get a little further.

Jackson, a 2001 graduate of Seneca valley, pitched this past season with the Round Rock Express, the Texas Rangers’ Class AAA affiliate.

On Friday, the Rangers fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7 of the World Series — and Jackson was watching the game at home in Austin, Texas.

Jackson went 13-5 for the Express, a record number of wins for the any Rangers’ Class AAA affiliate, but did not get a September call-up.

“It’s an organization I’m proud to be a part of,” Jackson said. “It was one of those things where you just hoped for the best.

“They had their guys, their prospects they were going to call up beforehand. It is what it is. I’m glad to be able to support them,” Jackson added.

Jackson signed with Round Rock as a free agent and closed the season with a bang, going 6-1 over his last eight games.

He struck out 78 and walked 56 with an ERA of 5.51, which is high, but the Pacific Coast League is known as a hitters’ league.

“It was a good opportunity to start,” said Jackson. “I thank God and I was blessed with being healthy and having a healthy career.

“I was able to put up a good number of wins and that was great, but whenever I was bad, it was awful. You have to chalk it up to the PCL. You have to take positives out of it and I finished strong,” Jackson added.

Pitching at Round Rock had its benefits as the area is a suburb of Austin, so Jackson was at home with his wife Ashley and 1-year-old son Tyson with another baby on the way.

“(Class AAA) is not what you shoot for, but it was a great situation,” Jackson noted. “I was following (the Rangers) religiously and rooting them on, but I haven’t made it up there.

“I took it in stride and was able to enjoy my family,” Jackson added.

Jackson had a mercurial ride through the minor leagues and reached the major leagues for the first time in 2006 with the Milwaukee Brewers, just two years after he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays.

He also appeared in the major leagues the next three years, but has not been called up in the past two seasons.

At the age of 28, Jackson knows he still has time to stick, but would like to get back sooner than later.

“Unfortunately, the best thing and the worst thing was getting up to the major leagues so fast,” Jackson said. “You see some guys not put it together until their 30, 32 years old.

“I feel healthy and I’m blessed. I just have to get one or two things to click. Maybe with the next opportunity, I’ll get that,” Jackson added.

That next opportunity will begin later this week as Jackson once again is a free agent. He chose the Rangers after last season as his best chance to start.

Having won 13 games and being a young left-hander, his options could be plentiful.

“I’m looking forward to next year,” Jackson said. “I’d love the opportunity to play (with the Rangers’ organization) again but I pitched well last year and hopefully that could open things up to a better opportunity. It just depends on how it goes.”