Pennington brothers look to make their mark at the next level.
When the two were in high school, brothers Jake and Payton Pennington were close, but now that they’re 725 miles apart, they’ve never been tighter.
This year Payton will make his mark playing baseball as a freshman for the University of Cincinnati, while Jake will look to rebound from Tommy John surgery for the University of Nebraska Omaha. Two brothers, two-division I athletes, one room growing up.
Now that they’ve both gone on to their respected schools, their bond has only strengthened.
“We talk every day, throughout the day,” said Payton. “Whenever one of us is free we call each other. We talk baseball, life, whatever. We got really close after [Jake] graduated from high school.”
Their relationship grew after Jake flew the coup for Omaha, but both he and Payton will tell you how special the spring of 2017 was.
It was Jake’s senior year playing for the Big Blue and they brought up a sophomore infielder– Payton.
“It was awesome,” said Jake on getting to play varsity baseball with his little brother. “Watching him growing up work at it, then seeing him start varsity as a sophomore was pretty cool. It was one of the moments you don’t get to have all the time.”
With two brothers who are great athletes, there is of course bound to be competitive clashes, and according to the pair, they had a couple that spring.
Payton remembers one specific time when Jake made it clear that it wasn’t the time for brotherly love.
“Jake was struggling on the mound, so I hustled over there and tried to calm him down,” remembered Payton. “He just yelled at me and told me to get away from him. He didn’t want to hear anything from me, but he did pitch better after that.”
Payton remembers that brief mid-game discussion, while Jakes looks back and recalls a whole spring of catching flak from his classmates.
“We played Fairfield early on in the season and Payton hit a homerun. He was obviously younger than me, so that’s all I heard from the guys all season long.”
That ribbing went on until Jake was able to hit a home run against GMC foe Colerain late in the spring.
Now, that they play for different teams they are each other’s biggest supporters, and the 2020 spring will be a statement year for both.
Jake enters 2020 as a redshirt sophomore and has had an interesting college career thus far. After throwing 46 innings for Omaha his freshman year, he decided to move home citing that he wanted to be closer to his roots. He enrolled at Sinclair and during fall ball he went down with an arm injury that required the three scariest words a pitcher can hear– Tommy John surgery. Now, he decided to go back to Nebraska and play for Omaha again.
“After my surgery, I had three years of eligibility, Omaha reached out and said ‘Hey, we want you back,” said Jake on the process of getting back to the Cornhusker state. “I missed it, I had a bunch of friends. So I figured it would be a good fit, especially after surgery because they’ve seen me throw before.”
Jake, anxiously awaits the year because it’s been a year and a half since the last time he competed in a game. He more than likely will come out of the pen this year for the Durangos.
Payton, on the other hand, is looking to make his mark. The freshman at UC didn’t just follow his brother in becoming a D1 baseball player, but also their uncle, Chad, who played at the lauded Arizona State University before coming to play for the Bearcats of UC.
Payton wasn’t always committed to the University of Cincinnati, but when the opportunity presented itself he didn’t waver.
“I was originally committed to Charleston Southern, in South Carolina,” said the younger of the two Penningtons. “Then halfway through my junior summer, I decided to visit UC. I immediately loved it and I loved the coaches. It was the best fit for me.”
Jake, who went through the recruiting process two years prior, didn’t lend a hand in Payton’s process, but he definitely gave him some insight.
“I just walked [Payton] through the whole thing,” said Jake. “At the end of the day, we are two different people. So I really just let him do his own thing. I gave him some advice, but ultimately it’s his decision.”
Payton will look to get opportunities off the bench for Bearcats as a meer freshman. Which is all the more impressive considering UC made the NCAA tournament last year.
The Pennington’s made their mark on the Big Blue during their time, as both earned all-GMC selections, now they will look to do the same in their respective college leagues.
If you were wondering who is the better of the two Penningtons on the diamond they both admit Jake is. Mostly because Jake can pitch and hit a little bit, while Payton didn’t record a single on the mound in high school. Now, it’s not really a competition for them, it’s more about being each one’s biggest supporter.