McKenzie – A Trailblazer On And Off The Field

McKenzie Jackson
 

A dedicated and passionate baseball player, McKenzie has consistently demonstrated exceptional talent on the field earning recognition for her blazing speed on the base paths, her impeccable fielding skills, an astonishing baseball IQ and a track record of many impactful performances.

Daughter to two disabled combat veterans; Kenzie was born and being raised in Junction City, KS. She developed a love for the game at a young age, throwing before she crawled, and hitting before she could even walk. Playing on all boy's teams since the age of 5. Kenzie began playing competitive travel baseball at the age of 6, playing against 8-year-old boys. By the age of 9, she had been selected to play in the Kansas/ Missouri Midwest Perfect Game MVP Select Games a total of four times. Kenzie is currently 11 playing 12u ball. Known for her commitment to the game, and recognized for being a leader both on and off the field, playing with a big heart while never hesitating to help-out or boost up a teammate.

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Beyond the field, Kenzie is involved with the grassroots girl's baseball program, "That's a Girl Baseball Initiative." A program designed to help grow and promote girl's baseball, as well as inspire girls to play baseball, and to help girl baseball players connect across multiple nations. Kenzie also plays basketball and enjoys running. Scholastically, Kenzie tests above the state and national averages in reading and math. After completing her 5th grade year, she was awarded the Presidential Education Award for Academic achievements. 

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Over the past summer Mckenzie was interviewed by Sandee Charles from the MLB Network, was featured in both the Manhattan and Junction City newspapers, as well as gave interviews for Power 97.5 and 107.9 KJCK. 

An ambassador to the sport of girl's baseball, this 6th grader dreams of playing college baseball, representing the United States by playing on the USA Women's National Team, and a career in the Women's Pro Baseball League, set to debut in 2026 with the first ever WPBL draft in October of 2025.

 

What did receiving a scholarship from The Yard Charities mean to you and your family?

 "It meant the world to me!" Kenzie. As McKenzie's father, I can only echo my daughter's response. It truly meant the world to us. In a time of need, as I was still in physical therapy from a recent shoulder surgery, and spring ball had just ended. Being able to train at The Yard not only helped in my shoulder recovery as I was able to do band and pylo excersies with Kenzie as she warmed up, we were able to immediately go into throwing in a controlled environment. Using the facilities allowed Kenzie to continue her training without missing anytime due to my injuries, while bridging the gap between spring and summer ball.

 

Without this scholarship, what opportunities might you have missed out on? 

"I might have missed out on extra work on the days when it was pouring rain or super hot outside. I would say we went to The Yard every rainy day over the summer. And doing Hittrax." Kenzie, prior to the scholarship, had only used Hittrax in a group environment. Kenzie had a blast hitting homeruns at Williamsport and trying to hit them out of Kauffman stadium. From a coaching perspective, I used Hittrax to track her exit velo and launch angle, then we would make corrections in her swing implementing certain drills. Over the past 6 months Kenzies hitting velocity has increased from an average of 33 mph to around 58 - 62 mph. With the format of Hittrax, she thinks she's just hitting on a video game. Also, in the pitching building the built in radar is extremely helpful to check progress on velo.  

 

How has training at The Yard helped you improve as a baseball player? (examples: skills, confidence, strength, teamwork) 

"Being able to get extra work in, regardless of the weather, resulting in better mechanics and boosting my confidence." Mckenzie. In preparation for Kenzie to play 13u we would boost the speed of the pitching machines up so she was able to see faster pitches headed into summer league. Towards mid July in preparation for BFA Nationals we dialed the machines way back as Kenzie would be facing a lot slower pitchers playing girls her own age. When we returned from nationals, I would individually feed Kenzie balls instead of using the hopper. But I would change the settings on the machine before each pitch. Something you are not able to do at traditional batting cages. Her gained confidence and performance at the plate has carried over to her leadership abilities, always standing out on a field of boys. 

 

What is your favorite memory or experience while training at The Yard?

"One day I was doing batting practice using Hittrax, and I was hitting homerun, after homerun, one after the other; at Williamsport with no boost! With high school boys watching me, it was great! Another thing I really liked was always being the first ones to walk through the door, turning on the lights, and pumping up the music. It's like having your own personal building." Kenzie

 

Have you noticed any changes in your confidence—on or off the field—since starting this program? 

yes! After spring ball ended, Kenzie went from playing 10u travel ball to 13u rec, showing her that she can compete with much older boys had her walking on clouds playing against 10 year old girls at Baseball For All Nationals (ALL GIRLS BASEBALL); in Reno, NV; July 2025. 

 

What lessons have you learned here that you’ll carry with you beyond sports? 

"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast!" Kenzie. They say everything you need to know in life you can learn playing baseball; over the summer I've noticed Kenzie making progress in working harder, commitment, dedication, time management skills, and her accountability by her training at The Yard. It all begins with The Yard having 2 main things that other facilities in the area do not offer: 1 - having to book your cage time, and 2 - having 24hr key card access to the facility. While I was the one booking the times and driving Kenzie to Salina from Junction City, she had timelines she had to uphold here at home in order to make our scheduled time. Commitment and hard work - the drive one-way for us is 45 min, we would typically stay for 2 hours, before returning to JC to make the trip worth while. Kenzie would be begging to stay, dripping in sweat. Accountability, she forgot her game glove at home one time, and was forced to use her new glove, not a terrible outcome but after that she made sure to inventory her bag before leaving JC and Salina.

 

What would you like to say to the donors who made your scholarship possible?

 "Thank you for all your support, without The Yard charities program, we would not be able to train at an actual facility" Kenzie. This opportunity has been such a blessing, especially with Kansas’ unpredictable summer weather. Having a climate-controlled environment allowed us to continue to train on hitting, pitching, catching, and fielding work without any interruptions from the weather. Your generosity gave her not only a place to train but also the confidence and resources to keep improving her game. We are truly grateful for your support and investment in her future. It is our hope to train at The Yard on scholarship over winter-break from school during the holidays. Again thank you!

 

Why do you think supporting programs like this matters for kids in our community? 

Not all dedicated athletes come from families that have a lot money. Camps, individual training, and facilities cost money that people may not have; by awarding a player a scholarship, it gives them the same opportunities to train at the same facilities as players who are better off financially. A child should not have to miss out or be looked over simply because of their parents economical status. As in our family's situation, due to my combat injuries I'm not even allowed to hold a job. My wife is also a disabled veteran, with a very small home owned business. So being able to train at The Yard on a scholarship was a blessing.  

 

What are your goals in baseball, and how has The Yard helped you chase those goals? 

 "This season I wanted to hit better, training at The Yard with my dad and uncle has improved my hitting a lot" Kenzie. In 2025, Kenzies season goals were to hit .300, steal 100 bases, and attend BFA Nationals. Playing up, and against boys; Kenzie finished the 2025 season hitting over .390, stole 113 bases, and shined in the national spotlight hitting .667; another highlight from BFA Nationals came when she pitched against Team Canada. She pitched 2 innings, faced 9 batters, struck out 6, with 0.000 ERA! After the game with Team Canada; I was informed that Kenzie had been varying her pitch speeds from 33 to 49 mph. The added practice at The Yard, both hitting and pitching, definitely helped in boosting her confidence making that possible.

 

Short term goals for 2026 include the following all girls baseball tournaments: Little League Maria Pepe Legacy Series at Williamsport (12u, only 96 girls world wide are selected), returning to the BFA Nationals with the 12u Florida Bolts, as well as competing in Cooperstown with the Bolts. Kenzie's long term goals include participating in the MLB Trailblazer Programs, playing college baseball, playing for the USA Women's National Team, and eventually playing in the Women's Professional Baseball League, to name a few.

 

If you could describe your scholarship experience in just a few words, what would they be?

 "AWESOME!" Kenzie.