SPRING 2019 BASEBALL HITTER: Jamie Thomson Hubbard

Stealing bases is an art form. Baserunners need to react the split second a pitcher moves toward home plate.

Hubbard center fielder Jamie Thomson learned this art from his brother, making him one of the most dangerous players in the area.

Thomson stole his 100th career base during the 2019 season. He finished his career tied for 20th all time in the state with 104. Sunbury Big Walnut’s Nick Moser recorded 173 from 2013-16 to set the OHSAA record.

“When I was in sixth grade, I used to be this short chubby kid and all of a sudden I grew to be 5-8, thinned out and just got really fast,” Thomson said. “Once I realized I was that fast, I realized I had more opportunities to steal a lot of bases.

“As long as I got on, whether it was a walk or a single, I can practically turn it into a double or a triple if I could steal second and third.”

Thomson was named First Team All-Northeast 8 Conference this season. He stole 27 bases as a senior. He wanted to steal 33 bases on the year, but a quadriceps injury kept Thomson from stealing bases during the middle of the season.

“I became a guy who wasn’t really stealing bases for a week, week-and-a-half unless we got into a real opportunity where I had to take a base,” Thomson said. “I would try to power through it.”

As the years passed his coaches and opponents learned of Thomson’s speed.

“My freshman year, I stole about 20 bases,” Thomson said. “Around that time they didn’t know that I had much speed because it was the first time teams were seeing me. My sophomore year they knew I was fast and junior year they started to really realize that every pitch had to be a slide step or you might have to think about pitching out against me.”

Thomson will spend his summer playing for a Hubbard AA team for players ages 18 and older.

His speed caught Youngstown State’s eye. Thomson sent an email to Eric Smith, YSU baseball’s recruiting coordinator and an assistant coach, and will try to walk on for the Penguins as a freshman next season.

“There’s obviously a lot of guys that want to go and walk on,” Thomson said. “I just hope that I can make the team — at the very least just be a pinch-runner and do what I do best. Need a guy who can go out there and run? I just love to go out and help the team out that way.”