Keep an eye on this kid's baseball career

ADLER · January 3, 2006

Georgia Tech losing PG recruit to baseball's Yankees

June 9, 2005

By Jeff Goodman

Special to CBS SportsLine.com

In a bit of irony, George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees are taking away one of Georgia Tech's top recruits.

Yellow Jackets coach Paul Hewitt, a lifelong, diehard Yankees fan who grew up in New York, will lose incoming freshman Austin Jackson to baseball, according to several sources close to the situation.

Jackson, a 6-foot-1 point guard/center fielder from Denton (Texas) Ryan High, was drafted by the Yankees in the eighth round with the 259th overall pick -- but was offered a deal in the $1 million range, which is money that late first and second-round picks generally command. It was believed that Jackson would have a chance to play minor-league baseball and college basketball, but according to sources, the Yankees, who have a depleted farm system, didn't give Jackson the option of playing both sports.

Jackson is a career .410 hitter who was at one time ranked as the top player his age by Baseball America. If Jackson wasn't considering college baseball, he likely would have been taken in the top three rounds.

With starting point guard Jarrett Jack's status in limbo, Jackson might have had a chance to start for the Yellow Jackets this season. Jack put his name in for the NBA Draft, but has not signed with an agent and is undecided on his future plans. If Jack doesn't return to school for his senior season, expect sophomore Zam Frederick to get a shot at the starting spot.