Gabe Jacobo’s dream is to one day play in the major leagues. Sacramento State baseball coach John Smith and assistant coach Don Barbara think the junior first baseman’s dream has a chance to become reality.

“The ball from Gabe Jacobo’s bat comes off as well as anyone I have ever seen in college baseball,” Barbara said. “When I coached Troy Tulowitzki (at Long Beach State), the ball came off his bat very similarly. I think that (Jacobo) has more power than Troy had.”

Tulowitzki is currently the shortstop for the Colorado Rockies, who were swept by the Boston Red Sox in the World Series last season.

Smith said Jacobo has as good of a chance to make it as professional ballplayer than any other position player that he has coached at Sac State. He said that Jacobo, who is a mass communications major, is a humble individual and a dedicated student.

“There are two things about Gabe that really impress me,” Smith said. “He is very sincere about getting a college degree and moving to the next level and playing professional baseball. He hasn’t let one outweigh the other. He’s gone along with a level head throughout the entire process and he’s a pretty darn good student and he’s a great baseball player.”

The respect between Jacobo and his coaches is mutual.

“Coach Smith is one of those guys that will be there for you no matter what,” Jacobo said. “He’ll do anything for you. And Barbara, that guy knows everything about baseball. He’s helped me tremendously with my swing and defensively. Whenever he talks, you listen, because he knows what he’s talking about.”

Originally from Tulare, Jacobo said that his parents Bob and Carmen raised him with a Christian background, which has greatly influenced his life. He said that it has taught him to persevere, to always look for the positives in life and to not let distractions keep him away from his goals. He said that God and his parents are role models in his life.

“When things are good or bad you need to look up to God,” he said. “Then (I look to )my parents, they’re the most important people I could ever imagine having. They have been there for me through everything. They live three hours away and they come to every home game I have.”

“(Jacobo’s parents) are wonderful people and outstanding parents,” Barbara said. “Everything you see in Gabe is a direct reflection of his parents.”

Jacobo said he picked up the game from his father, who played his college ball at nearby Fresno State. Ever since he can remember, Jacobo has been swinging a bat. He said his greatest baseball achievement is when he helped his Tulare Western High School baseball team win the CIF Division II Valley Championship in 2005.

Jacobo also played quarterback all four years at his high school. During his senior season, he threw for more than 3,000 yards and 38 touchdowns, earning the honor of first-team All-East Yosemite League and Offensive Player of the Year. It was also in 2005 that he was named the Tulare County Baseball Player and Athlete of the Year.

When Jacobo is not playing baseball, he said that he is usually enjoying the company of his roommates Ryan Blair, Tim Wheeler and Brandon Sandoval who are also members of the Sac Sate baseball team. He said that he and his roommates like to go fishing after games and are competitive in everything from ping-pong to throwing darts.

Jacobo said his favorite home-cooked meal is his father’s pork chops and mashed potatoes, along with his mother’s cheese bread and salad. He said when he gets the chance, he usually fires up his grill and barbecues with his roommates.

“We usually barbecue hamburgers and hot dogs since we are poor college students who can’t afford steak,” Jacobo said.

His favorite TV shows are ESPN’s SportsCenter, the Discovery Channel’s Man Versus Wild and Family Guy. He said his favorite characters on Family Guy are Peter and Chris Griffin. He thinks they are hilarious.

Jacobo’s girlfriend of more than five years also attends Sac State and is currently in her second semester.

“It’s good to have her up here,” Jacobo said. “It’s the first time we’ve been in the same school, because we are not from the same town. It’s great, because she can come see our games and she loves baseball too. She’s just as excited as I am for the baseball season to start.”

Smith said Jacobo has become a catalyst and leader for the younger Hornets and will continue to be.

“He’s a very good, solid, quiet leader,” Smith said. “They see how he goes about his business and younger players want to immolate that.”

Jacobo was named to the preseason Wallace Watch List, which is awarded to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player at the College Baseball’s Hall of Fame annual induction ceremony.

“It’s nice to get recognized on that preseason list, but for me preseason awards don’t really mean much, because it’s not an award, it’s just your name on a list,” Jacobo said. “I’d like to improve my numbers from last year.”

Jacobo plays baseball with the motto of never being satisfied with last season.

“If I was satisfied with last year’s numbers, why play this year,” Jacobo said. “If I have a good game there’s no reason to be satisfied, I just got to keep going.”

Jacobo’s .363 batting average, 14 home runs and 44 RBI last season were all Hornet team-highs last season.

Andrew Eggers can be reached [email protected]