El Dorado’s Webster-Moore signs with Arkansas Tech
The Great American Conference has become a prime destination for El Dorado standouts in recent years.
Earlier this week, another joined the ranks with Jake Webster-Moore signing with Arkansas Tech.
“Throughout the spring, I visited many colleges throughout Arkansas, Texas and Missouri, but it wasn't until visiting Arkansas Tech that I loved everything about the campus, the location, the academics, and the athletics that any school had to offer,” Webster-Moore said of his choice. “It just felt right and it felt like I would fit in there. I reached out to the coaching staff right away, but I wasn't able to get their attention until coach (Jeff) Burson and coach (Cannon) Lester reached out and put in a word for me to get me a look. Once coach (Jonathan) Estes heard and saw a little about who I was as a person and a player, he told me I was welcome to take a spot on the team. I owe it to my coaches and give them all the credit for giving me this opportunity.”
Webster-Moore said he would like to major in data science.
“I feel like this major could potentially open up a lot of things for me in the long run,” Webster-Moore said. “I've always naturally been pretty good with math and science. It comes easy to me. In the modern society, many things are transferring to become more digital, and I could potentially find a job anywhere. The original plan was to do sports analytics, but I could also be an actuary, an accountant or work with statistics for almost any company anywhere.”
Webster-Moore had to adjust to south Arkansas after moving from Iowa just before his sophomore year began.
“Making the transition was really difficult for me and the first year as a whole was really rough,” Webster-Moore said. “It was a change of scenery after calling the same place home for over 15 years and I didn't adapt well. I struggled to find my role on the team, I struggled to make friends, I went through really tough mental struggles, and I even considered quitting baseball to take some pressure away.
“I never let up and I continued to put in work and I eventually got comfortable with my surroundings. During the
summer after my sophomore year, I gained a lot of confidence as I batted nearly .700 in Legion ball and baseball once again came easy to me and I was having fun. In my junior and senior seasons, I was a key contributor on offense and defense. I just needed to get comfortable so I could play loose and have fun to see the success come.”
Webster-Moore, who hit .288 with two home runs and 17 RBIs this season, recently ended his career with the Wildcats. Although El Dorado narrowly missed on qualifying for the state tournament, Webster-Moore was pleased with how his final season went.
“I feel like it was a good season in all,” WebsterMoore said. “We exceeded the expectations that most people had for us, and we improved on our record from the previous year. We overcame a ton of adversity. We were young and needed our freshmen to step up and contribute, and we also dealt with countless injuries through the year. Five of our six seniors missed time in the offseason due to injury. Jonah Davis missed half the season and wasn't 100% when he came back, I played through a torn UCL, and I don't think Sam York or Peyton Howard were 100% either.
“We went through some highs and lows, but we never let up and kept pushing on and that's what it's about. In our last game of the season, we traveled up to Lake Hamilton and we beat them, so I think that was a good way to go out. From a personal standpoint, there were good things and bad things. I led off for the majority of the year and got moved over to play shortstop midway through the season.
“I thought I played really well defensively with exception to some throwing woes, but I believe that's mostly due to my arm issues. I had some good moments offensively, but ultimately I expect a lot more from myself because I'm very hard on myself. I didn't improve very much on top of my junior year, but I think that's due to how much time I missed going to physical therapy for my arm. Ultimately, we had a really good season given what a lot of our guys had to go through.
Webster-Moore will spend his summer rehabbing after Tommy John surgery, which is scheduled for later this month.
“I was planning to get surgery after the season since it was revealed to me that my UCL was torn,” WebsterMoore said. “I believe I've been playing through a torn UCL since sometime in the summer of 2022. I just haven't been able to throw without pain since then. I've had to do constant arm care, go to physical therapy, and take painkillers. After my surgery, I won't be able to do much of anything. I'll just have to rest so I can recover quickly. Hopefully I don't lose that much progress and I'll be able to get right back to work sooner than later. I'll most likely be redshirting my first year at ATU, but that depends on how long my recovery period is and how well I progress coming off it.”
When asked how he wanted his career at El Dorado to be remembered, Webster-Moore said it was being a team player.
“Hopefully I can be remembered as a good person, a good teammate and a good player,” Webster-Moore said. “I suffered a lot when I first came here and I had a terrible year, so I think the position I'm in now can show people that I'm relentless, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help my team. I love to help the others around me get what they need and help them succeed. Leaving a lasting impression on the program would mean a lot to me.”