Bio
LHP Jaren Jackson joins the Explorers for his first year of professional baseball. Jackson comes from the University of New Mexico where he played two seasons with the Lobos. Prior to the Lobos, he pitched three seasons at Pima Community College.
This year with the Lobos, Jackson earned the opening-day start against Oregon State, although he was moved to a bullpen role in March after two starts. Across the year, he went 3-5 over 47.1 innings while striking out 49 batters. He ended the season with a stretch of seven appearances where he combined for 9.2 innings only allowing three earned runs between April 23 and May 12. His last appearance was on May 23, going four innings without allowing a run against San Jose St.
2023 was Jackson’s first season with New Mexico, and he started eight of his 12 appearances. He ranked fourth on the team with 44.2 innings pitched and struck out 32 while walking only 12. His season included a finish where he allowed just one run over 11 innings between April 29 and May 14, throwing 101 pitches across 6.2 shutout innings in a game against Nevada May 14.
Jackson went to the Lobos after three years with the Pima Community College Aztecs. In 2022, he was named second-team all-ACCAC while making 13 starts with a 2.88 ERA. In his second season of college ball in 2021, the lefty went 65.1 innings while starting 12 games, including three games of seven innings. During his true freshman season with the Aztecs, he made five starts in the COVID-shortened year. In those starts, he pitched 23.1 innings, including a game against Colorado Northwestern CC where he picked up a win with seven strikeouts.
Jackson is a native of Rio Rancho, New Mexico where he attended Cleveland High School. He was named first-team all-state pitcher in 2019 after being named first-team all-state first baseman in 2018. He also played football in high school like his father who played at UTEP.