LANCASTER — Paraclete graduate Mason Jacobo received an offer to play baseball at Antelope Valley College and felt good about the opportunity.

He chose to play for the Marauders during a signing ceremony on May 11 at Paraclete High.

“I thought they had a pretty good program,” Jacobo said. “Their coach reached out to me and they were like, ‘We like you.’ I was like, you know, I always thought about it. I was gonna try to see where else I could go, but it’s also in town. So, I was like, you know, it’s pretty close to home, so I might as well just stay here. 

“I like the school, too. I have a couple of buddies that go there. So, I thought it was a pretty good decision.”

He also liked the coaching staff, led by head coach Bryan Moses.

“They’re all pretty nice,” Jacobo said. “They’re all welcoming. They said they’ll teach me and help me get better and stuff like that.”

Jacobo will be a pitcher only for the Marauders. In nine regular season appearances with the Spirits this year, Jacobo went 4-0 with a 0.67 ERA. He allowed 10 walks and struck out 34 batters in 42 innings. All of the 28 hits he allowed were singles.

“I think that’s my best talent,” Jacobo said about pitching. “I feel like I could take it somewhere, so that’s what I’m gonna try to do. I’m excited for it. Really excited.”

Jacobo plans on studying kinesiology.

“It’s kind of cool, being able to learn about the body and learn about muscles and how it happens and physical therapy,” he said. “I’m gonna take that and then later, I’m gonna try and go to chiropractic school.”

Jacobo is joining the Marauders with the hope of later transferring to a four-year college to continue his baseball career.

“I’m doing a two-year transfer for kinesiology,” he said. “I’m gonna try to do that and see if I can continue to play baseball somewhere else, too, if I can take it that far.”

Jacobo, who has been playing baseball since he was 4, said he was most thankful for his parents — his father Alonso Jacobo and his late mother Denise Jacobo. His mother died suddenly of heart failure in 2020 when Mason was just 12 years old.

“I want to thank him, my dad,” Mason Jacobo said. “He’s always pushed me to be better than I was. I want to thank my mom, who’s no longer with us. I want to thank her for when she was here. She helped me … and she always believed in me. And I know she still does. My grandma and my uncle, they were all there for me. They all supported me. They helped me get to where I’m at.”

Jacobo said he is excited for the opportunity to continue his baseball career. He will look to join the Marauders in their summer program.