As the careers of Jojo and Jacob Parker come to an end, the duo leaves a legacy that will forever be synonymous with Purvis baseball.
There is good reason for that, like the eye-popping stats, the countless accolades, and the promising future of their careers as MLB prospects. However, the brothers also helped maintain the tradition of Purvis baseball, as the duo led the Tornadoes to a second state championship in three years, earning them the Pine Belt Sports Co-Players of the Year for the 2025 season.
“Everybody wants to leave the place they go to better than when they found it,” Jacob said. “I think that’s exactly what we did. We made connections. We made friendships. We basically made a family with all of these people, and I just don’t think we could have ever asked for anything more.”
“I think our implement is to leave a legacy,” Jojo said. “We tried to do that from the seventh grade to our senior year, and looking back on it, I think we left a legacy for us to remember. It’s been a pretty fun ride at Purvis High School.”
The two were both dynamic at the plate and on the mound. Jacob put up a .525 batting average, drove in 54 runs, 10 doubles, 17 home runs and swiped 39 bases. On the mound, he recorded a 2.80 ERA, struck out 56 batters and walked 31 in 35 innings of work. Jojo hit .465, 35 RBI, 11 doubles, 13 home runs and stole 30 bases. As a pitcher, he struck out 99 batters, walked 16 and put up a 2.68 ERA in 62.2 innings.
“(You are) just trying to win every single game and not make it about yourself,” Jojo said. “You’re just trying to be a good team player and teammate and have fun with your best friends that you grew up with.”
Despite all the accolades and promising baseball futures on the horizon, the loss in Game 3 of the state championship helped keep things in perspective for the brothers.
“I think it put us back in perspective and put us back in our shoes that, hey, you’re not going to win everything that you do in life,” Jojo said. “‘So what, next pitch’ is what I like to say. We lost that last game, but we wouldn’t have gone out any other way. It was a state championship. You would always want to win a state championship, but I think it was an awesome year for us, and we had a good season.”
“I think we’re so good because we know how to fail,” Jacob said. “Baseball is a game of failure, and once you accept that, you just instantly become better. It’s a mind game. So, as soon as you can, move on from your failure and start focusing on success. That’s the only way to be successful in baseball.”
The duo will have a big upcoming life decision as they’ll have to choose between going to Mississippi State or instead opting to play professional baseball.
“It’s a kid’s game,” Jojo said. “Whichever ever path (baseball) takes, whether it’s college or we’re going (pro) out of high school, we’re going to make the best of our options and just see where we go from there.”
“We have two really good options, where that’s going to school or signing a professional contract,” Jacob said. “At the end of the day, the next level is going to be a business either way. They are going to pay you either way, with NIL or signing a professional contract. You really just can’t let it bother you. You just have to have fun no matter what you do.”
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