Lincoln-Way East’s Jack Bauer having an action-packed season

Jack Ryan. James Bond. John McClane. There are some action heroes whose names are instantly recognizable.

Jack Bauer is one such action hero. Played by Kiefer Sutherland, Bauer was the lead character on the TV series “24″ for nine seasons on FOX.

“24″ went off the air in 2014, but Jack Bauer is still around. These days he can be found in Frankfort, Illinois, attending class and playing baseball at Lincoln-Way East High School.

Don’t believe it? Hear it from the man himself.

“My parents were big fans of (”24″),” Bauer said. “It was actually supposed to be my sisters’ name but they ended up being girls so my dad was excited with me being the last child.”

Okay, so the Jack Bauer pitching for the Griffins isn’t the same one who who foiled terrorist plots in the early 2000’s. On the mound, though, this Bauer’s arm is every bit as lethal as that Bauer was.

Plus, his jersey number is 24.

Bauer, a senior, is viewed as one of the top pitching prospects in the state. He committed to the University of Virginia early in his sophomore year after the Cavaliers saw him throw a fastball in the mid-90’s.

However, Bauer will be the first to tell you that his junior year didn’t live up to expectations. He finished with a 3.76 ERA as the Griffins went 22-14 despite having Bauer and superstar Tyler Bell on the roster.

“Last year wasn’t the easiest year for me,” Bauer said. “I struggled a ton. My friends, family and UVA never turned their backs on me. My whole support system helped me rebound this year.”

Griffins head coach John McCarthy praised Bauer’s offseason commitment to improving his game. He hit the weight room and continued to keep his mind in check.

The results have been promising. In 11 2/3 innings, he’s already stuck out 27 batters and has a 1.80 ERA while only allowing three hits. His recruiting profile has risen tremendously.

It was a tournament game in Georgia early this month, however, that skyrocketed Bauer’s name across the country. That was when Bauer registered a throw that clocked in at 102 miles per hour. That’s confirmed to be one of the hardest pitches ever record by a high school prospect.

That throw, combined with his name-jersey combo, landed Bauer in the headlines of the New York Post. ESPN draft analyst Kiley McDaniel was in attendance that day and wrote at length about Bauer in his latest MLB Draft rankings. McDaniel lists Bauer as his 43rd best draft prospect.

“Ever since the start of the season everything has kind of blown up,” Bauer said of the national attention. “I’ve tried not to listen to all they hype. I’m trying to keep my routine the same. I know I still have to improve myself throughout the season and do what I can to help my team win. I’m not a complete pitcher at all so I want to keep working.”

McDaniel mentioned in his profile that some scouts might have Bauer in the 20’s while others might have him much lower than 43. As such, Charlottesville may end up being the destination for Bauer. He even said college is his plan “right now,” though he also knows he’s in a good position.

“With the draft coming up some people stress themselves out with needing to play as good as they can for the draft,” he said. “For me, I’ve got two great options. Either I get drafted or I got to Virginia. There’s not a single bad option.”

Of course, there’s other reasons for him to head to college. Namely to keep up with the other Bauer’s.

“I’m basically the dumbest in my family,” Jack said with a laugh. “One of my sisters went to MIT and now works at SpaceX and my other sister is studying to be a PA. I have to keep my academics up or else they’ll get on me for it. Plus, while baseball is on my mind a lot of the time, school is just as important to me as baseball is.”

“Dumbest one in the family” doesn’t mean so much in the Bauer home. The first thing McCarthy mentioned about Jack was his IQ on the diamond and in the classroom.

“He has a 3.8 GPA which at Lincoln-Way East is very impressive,” McCarthy said. “He’s a super intelligent guy. He really understands the craft of pitching, hand placement, spin rates, all of the science and mechanics.”

McCarthy would know a thing or two about talent. He coached 2023 first round draft pick Dillon Head at Homewood-Flossmoor and Bell was taken in the second round last year before opting to go to Kentucky.

Now, there’s Bauer, who offered immense praise for McCarthy and his coaching staff for helping hims improve his game.

Whether Bauer ends up with the Cavaliers or in a minor league organization will be determined in time. For now, his focus is just on getting better and earning the Griffins their first state championship in baseball.

“We’ve got a ton of young guys that are still maturing and learning varsity baseball,” Bauer said. “The other seniors and I are trying to lead them to show them how fun a state run would be. I really do believe if we’re firing on all cylinders by postseason we could make a state run and win a championship. That would be the best ending to my senior year I could ask for.”