IT WAS a Friday evening in early June, and varsity baseball player Jaxon Sheffield had recently graduated from Cascade High School (CHS). Most young men his age might be out on the town celebrating with friends, but not Sheffield. Instead, he reminisced about why his athletic career has been a home run. “Everyone in my family has had a big part in my career so far with everything I’ve ever done. When I think back, I can’t think of any sporting event that I’ve played in that there wasn’t at least one of my family members there to support me. If my mom, Misty, had to work and my dad had obligations of his own, they would always get together and come up with a way that at least one of them, or my grandparents, could be there to support me at my game. They just always found a way in their schedules to be there.”
From the time he smacked the first ball off the tee at 5 until he pitched for the varsity team in high school, Sheffield had played football and baseball for the Tullahoma Wildcats. But in late 2022, when his dad, Travis Sheffield, accepted the position as the head baseball coach for the Champions, Jaxon transferred to Cascade High in Bell Buckle to play his last season with his dad. Sheffield was the MVP in March as the Champions beat Cornersville and impressed again in April when he helped them conquer Grundy County. “When I transferred to Cascade to complete my senior year, it was a whole new group of people. But everyone brought me in with open arms, and we all got along just fine. They accepted me, and we had a ball together.”
The Sheffield family instantly rose to stardom throughout Tullahoma when Jaxon’s big brothers, Jordan and Justus Sheffield, signed with the major leagues. Jordan Sheffield currently pitches for the Colorado Rockies and Justus Sheffield pitches for the Atlanta Braves. With Jaxon ranked as one of the top 26 players in Tennessee, the Sheffield family has proven to be kings of the pitcher’s mound. “My brothers have always encouraged me, and I’ve seen all the good things they’ve done in their baseball careers. I want to follow in their footsteps and play in the major leagues one day. To do that, I will need to take some of the hardest steps I’ve ever taken. I’m going to need to work harder than I have been and just stay at it.”
When I asked Jaxon what it’s like pitching for his dad and playing the position of a middle infielder, he said, “Dad holds me to a higher standard than everyone else, and that’s how it’s supposed to be. I like the extra pressure that he puts on me. I want to give my best, and he helps me achieve that. Playing sports has always been something I’ve enjoyed doing. Most players don’t enjoy practicing, but I love practicing. I think it’s fun. Sports are fun, whatever the game, whether it’s football, baseball, or basically anything that is competitive.”
Jaxon said his favorite major accomplishment includes beating prior athletic records. “During the 2021–2022 football season, I was the running back and linebacker for the Wildcats, and we won the state championship for the first time in the school’s history. I can’t just thank one person who has helped me along the way because people have been helping me all my life. The entire coaching staff at Tullahoma has helped me every step of the way, especially coach Maurice Shaw and coach Sisk. The environment in that locker room in Tullahoma was my home away from home.”
While Sheffield spent the summer choosing which college to attend, he helped his dad coach the Cyclones summer baseball program at CHS. “We have kids from several of the surrounding counties,” said Sheffield. “If it doesn’t work out for me to play professionally after I graduate from college, I will definitely stay in athletics and maybe coach like my dad. No matter what happens, keep playing the game,” advises Sheffield. “You may have a losing streak and play several bad games in a row, but don’t quit. If you keep working and stay in the cage, you can have a really good game that puts you on a hot streak. So stay at it. Always continue bettering yourself.” GN
