From the moment Ryan Jackson's uncle gave him a T-Ball set when he was 3, his father, Leonard, knew something had clicked.
''He opened that thing up and there was a twinkle in his eye,'' said Leonard Jackson, a pilot for United Airlines. ``From then on, that was it -- baseball everyday. He did a bit of football at Miami Springs Optimists when he was about 8, a good little quarterback, but he missed baseball.''
Jackson, a quiet, polite and studious University of Miami sophomore, is one of the nation's best shortstops on one of the nation's best defensive teams.
And can he ever hit.
''Everybody talks about our hitting,'' said coach Jim Morris, whose top-ranked Hurricanes (35-9, 20-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) score in double figures regularly and begin a three-game series Friday night at Virginia Tech (20-28, 4-20).
Nine of UM's players, including Jackson and his .365 average (fourth-best on the team), are batting above .300. Morris and hitting coach Gino DiMare know Jackson is their most improved player offensively (he hit .236 last season), but his defense -- silky-smooth mechanics with the infield's strongest and most accurate arm -- is what has set him apart for years.
''The fact is,'' Morris said, ``we have the best fielding percentage of any team since I've been at Miami, and Ryan is considered maybe the best shortstop in college baseball.
``Some guys make great plays, but they're not consistent. He does everything right consistently. That's the mark of a good shortstop.''
Jackson is the only UM player this season, and one of 32 nationally, who has been invited to play for Team USA. He has handled 144 chances with only four errors (.981), impressive for a shortstop. He and top major-league prospect Jemile Weeks form one of the best midfield-infield duos in Division I. UM, along with West Virginia and Creighton, have a .976 team fielding percentage, trailing only Duke (.979) and South Carolina (.978). Much of that is because of Jackson.
''He makes the everyday plays and the impossible plays,'' Weeks said. ``Four errors? That's a low number right there. That's something you don't see too often.''
When Jackson graduated from Florida Christian in 2006, Morris said he worried he would lose Jackson to the pros. ''I asked some scouts what they thought,'' Morris said. 'Their response: `He wears orange and green underwear. He's going to UM.' ''
The scouts were right. Jackson was set on being a Hurricane and went undrafted. Now he wants a national title.
''With this team, I don't think we shoot for anything less than that,'' he said. ``Omaha is the bottom line.''
DiMare said Jackson has dramatically improved at the plate since spending last summer in the Cape Cod league. He stopped swinging under the ball and ``came back a little more crouched in his stance. His body used to be all over the place in the batter's box. This year his body is not flying or falling over or going forward. He has better balance. He's driving the ball.''
''It's a testament to how hard he works,'' DiMare said. ``He's a great kid.''
Jackson, who is 6-2 -- ''6-3 in cleats'' -- and a wiry 175 pounds, will turn 20 on Saturday. An only child, he was born and raised in Miami Springs by his father and stay-at-home mother, Sally. Jackson, pretty much as low key as you can get on a high-profile team, is majoring in sociology and said he especially likes English and history. He is well-spoken and calm and easy to overlook when seeking an eye-popping personality for, say, a newspaper feature.
''I'm not a partying type of guy. I'd just rather go home and relax,'' he said. ``I like my personal space.
``It's been pretty much baseball for me since I've been really little. But I always made sure I did well in high school because that was how I was brought up. My dad and mom always emphasized grades first. If you didn't have your grades, you couldn't play sports.
``My parents did a great job of raising me. They treat people with respect and listen to what they have to say. They're courteous.''
Sally Jackson, who substitute teaches occasionally in Miami Springs, was thrilled at her son's comments about his upbringing:
``Isn't that nice of him! He's just that way, has always been easy. He enjoys a real good, peaceful atmosphere and has a nice, easy disposition. Just a real happy kid.
``But he's a hard worker. When your children put their hearts and souls into something you're so happy for them when it pays off.''
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