Jack of All Trades Covers Every Base

Jack Flansburg
Jack of All Trades Flansburg has been in the lineup for each game this season and has made multiple starts at all four infield positions. Offensively, he has scored and driven in 24 runs.

The Flansburg File
Hometown:	Orange, Calif.
Junior College:	Cyrpess College
Bats/Throws:	Left/Right
Height/Weight:	5-11/180
Major:	Mathematics

A middle infielder from southern California, Jack Flansburg emits a relaxed energy and go-with-the-flow attitude. Combine those traits with attributes identified as team-first, unselfish and versatile by the Oklahoma baseball coaching staff and you're looking at the Sooners' new, smooth-fielding, middle-of-the-lineup-hitting second baseman…or third baseman and sometimes first baseman and then again shortstop could work too.

Flansburg, a second baseman by trade, arrived in Norman last fall by way of Cypress College, a junior college just 30 minutes from his hometown of Orange, Calif. where he went to El Modena High School. Heading into fall ball, Oklahoma had returning letterwinners at all four infield positions. Flansburg, a left-handed hitter, immediately proved to be the type of bat the Sooners could use in their lineup on a regular basis, regardless of position.

“Jack is unique offensive player where his weapon is the walk and on-base percentage. He has an uncanny knack for getting on base,” head coach Pete Hughes said of Flansburg's offensive talents. “His junior college numbers really paralleled the way he played. He had super high walks and low strikeouts.”

Flansburg has been in the lineup for all 38 games for Oklahoma this season with multiple starts at all four infield positions. He has made 17 starts at second base, 11 at first, seven at third and two at shortstop. It can be a lot to handle for a player at the Division I level for the first time in his career, but Flansburg has been a steady presence on the infield all season with a .991 fielding percentage.

“Before the game, before we take groundballs, [coach Hughes] tells me take groundballs here or there and based on that is where I'm playing,” Flansburg stated. “Second base has always got my heart, but first base is always pretty fun. I'd never played there so it's different, but I like it a lot.”

Flansburg turns a double play from second at UCLA back in March.

In the offseason, each OU infielder takes the time to field groundballs at all four positions to increase the versatility of the unit and increase Hughes' flexibility with the lineup card. That included Flansburg getting some time at first base for the first time in his baseball life.

“It has to be an unselfish kid too, to say, 'I don't care about playing short or second, you play me at first if the team is going to win',” recalled Hughes. “That was Jack and that was his answer to me.”

Oklahoma opened the season with a four-game series against Northeastern. In game one, Flansburg found himself in the lineup and playing first base. He played second base in game two, shortstop in game four and a week later made his debut at third, another relatively new position to him.

“I'd only played a couple innings; not much,” Flansburg said of playing third. “That was definitely a lot different than second base because you're closer, you're reaction time needs to be a little quicker, but I just try to get the glove on [the ball] and make the throw.

“The first game [at first] was definitely awkward,” he continued. “I didn't know what I was doing. I had a couple plays where I got ran into by the baserunner. After that, maybe a week into [playing first], I got used to it. Now, I'm pretty comfortable at all positions.”

Flansburg also lends his versatility to the lineup with his bat. He has hit in four different spots, all of which are in the first four spots of the lineup, including a season-high 22 games as the OU clean-up hitter. Flansburg is hitting .269 with a .405 on-base percentage and .392 slugging percentage. He has walked a team-high 28 times, which ranks second in the Big 12 and 28^th in the NCAA.

Not your typical clean-up hitter, Flansburg has been tasked with protecting three-hole hitter Sheldon Neuse. He has provided four home runs, four doubles, 24 runs batted in and a team-leading 24 runs scored.

“I hit Jack in the clean-up spot behind Sheldon,” said Hughes. “He's just enough of a pain in the neck to the opponent that they have to pitch to Sheldon a little bit. I told Jack, 'I know you're hitting in the four-hole, but that's not the typical clean-up job we have in mind'. I want him to get on base, put the ball in play, have a productive out, just be who you are. It's good enough.”

Now over hallway through the season and four weeks into the Big 12 schedule, Flansburg has proven to be good enough. He has shown off some power numbers with a team-leading eight multi-RBI games and delivered the Sooners' their fourth walk-off of the season with a base hit in the 11^th to beat Baylor on April 10.

He still brings just one glove to the park; his infielder's mitt. A glimpse of the lineup card or a nod to a spot on the diamond from his head coach is all he's looking for. For the good of the team, Jack Flansburg will go with the flow to help his team win.