![From left to right: Father Rich Hoyt, Jackson Hoyt, Mother Kelly Hoyt and sister Peyton. [Photo by Austen Aupperlee]](https://www.hernandosun.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/6-scaled.jpg "6")
By PATRICK YASINSKAS
BROOKSVILLE — Nature Coast baseball coach Dan Garofano isn’t prone to hyperbole. So, when he heaped praise on Jackson Hoyt on Wednesday, his words carried substantial weight.
As Hoyt signed his letter of intent a to formally accept scholarship to the University of Florida in front of family, friends, teammates coaches and teachers in a crowded gymnasium, Garofano handed the senior left-handed pitcher an enormous compliment.
“I’ve coached baseball for a lot of years, and I’ve coached a lot of great players,” Garofano said. “I coached the No. 3 overall pick (Charlie Condon) in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft and Jackson’s ability is right up there with his. Florida is getting a great player and a great kid.”
If Hoyt follows a path similar to the one Condon took, his future has no limits. Garofano was Condon’s high school coach at The Walker School in Marietta, Ga. From there, Condon went on to have a stellar career at the University of Georgia where he was the 2024 SEC Player of the Year and winner of the prestigious Golden Spikes Award. A power-hitting first baseman/outfielder, Condon was drafted third overall by the Colorado Rockies after playing two seasons at Georgia.
Hoyt finally signing with the Gators came as no big surprise. He made a verbal commitment to Florida when he was only 14. Other colleges, such as Vanderbilt, several Ivy League schools and the University of South Florida, also made attempts to land Hoyt. But he said they really had no chance. The Florida coaching staff first saw Hoyt pitch when he was 12 and playing on a travel team.
“I knew all along that it would be Florida,” Hoyt said. “I grew up watching (Florida football legend) Tim Tebow and I’ve been a Gators fan all my life. That’s the school I always wanted.”
“When Jackson got here in the ninth grade, before he ever set foot on the Nature Coast baseball field, he already had committed to Florida,” Garofano said. “A lot of times that doesn’t mean much. I did some research and only about 10 percent of the players that commit to a college as eighth or ninth graders actually follow through and sign with the same college. That says a lot about Jackson’s dedication and who he is as a person.”
![Nature Coast baseball coach Dan Garofano with the Hoyt family in the background. [Photo by Austen Aupperlee]](https://www.hernandosun.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/7-scaled.jpg)
Hoyt, whose fastball has been clocked as high as 94 miles per hour, already has accomplished plenty at Nature Coast. As a junior, he went 4-1 with a 0.54 earned run average and 67 strikeouts in 38.2 innings. He also played the outfield when he wasn’t pitching and compiled a .357 batting average with 17 runs batted in. Hoyt also has been a three-year starter and record-setter as the dual-threat quarterback of Nature Coast’s football team.
But Hoyt, who has a 4.4 grade-point average and already is taking college courses, has known all along that his future is in baseball. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, he is viewed as a potential high pick in next summer’s Major League Baseball Draft. That could put Hoyt in a position where he has to decide between Florida or a professional career.
However, that potential choice is months away. and both are good options. For now, Hoyt said he’s focused on a final baseball season, and it has the potential to be a great one. The Sharks have a strong supporting cast returning from last season’s district championship team.
“Jackson already is a great player,” Garofano said. “But there’s always room for improvement and Jackson has worked hard since last season. Everyone knows about Jackson’s pitching. But he can only pitch one game a week. Jackson is a big part of our offense in the middle of the batting order and he’s a three-game-a-week player.”
Hoyt’s accomplishments as a baseball and football player have secured him a spot as one of the best athletes to come out of Nature Coast.
“One of things I admire most about Jackson is that he’s so humble,” Garofano said. “A lot of guys in a position like his get caught up in themselves. But Jackson has never done that. He works hard, is very coachable and he has zero ego. He carries himself like he’s just one of the guys.”
![Left to right: Father Rich Hoyt, Jackson Hoyt and Mother Kelly Hoyt. [Photo by Austen Aupperlee]](https://www.hernandosun.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/20-scaled.jpg)
