Munster senior outfielder Mason Jarrett doesn’t take too kindly to losing.
That’s not limited to baseball. It also applies to more than video games, card games and board games. It extends into areas not typically associated with keeping score.
“My competitive nature has always been there, since I was a little kid,” Jarrett said. “I remember it started with me and my brother — who’s the first one to close the door, who’s the first one to put their seat belt on, who’s the first one to eat — and that was like at 5, and it just kept going. It kept going in my mind that I needed to be first, that I always needed to do something better.
“I’m a very competitive person. I’m not going to sit here and lie.”
Truth be told, that characteristic has served Jarrett well on the baseball field. After earning a call-up from the junior varsity team as a sophomore and securing a starting spot, he enjoyed a breakout season as a junior. The Triton commit hit .410 with a homer, a team-high 28 RBIs, a team-high 25 runs scored and 14 stolen bases.
Jarrett is off to a flying start this season. He’s 5-for-10 with five RBIs, eight runs and four stolen bases after the Mustangs (2-1, 1-1) lost their debut on their new turf field in a Northwest Crossroads Conference game against Hobart on Thursday.
“A lot of it’s just been relaxing,” Jarrett said. “Last year, I had a pretty good season, and just trying to re-create the same thing, just breathing, having some fun, smiling more. You may make an out, but it’s like, ‘So what?’ Don’t worry about it. Just go into the next at-bat like nothing happened. It’s been fun.”
Munster senior shortstop Zach Wright, a Purdue Northwest commit who is one of a program-high seven seniors committed to play in college, is a co-captain with Jarrett and appreciates his contributions.
“He’s a special player who brings both offensive and defensive traits to our team that you don’t see very often,” Wright said. “As a teammate, he’s always very motivational to all of our players, not even just our younger players, but also our seniors as well. He keeps us motivated throughout the season, helps bring everyone up, not bring anyone down.”
Jarrett set a significant foundation as a sophomore, learning and drawing inspiration from the seniors at the time, including Kevin Hall Jr. and Denham Kozy. He continues to keep in touch with them.
“I love those two guys,” Jarrett said. “Those two guys are like my brothers. I try to surround myself with people like that. When they were here, it was like, ‘Oh, he’s doing this good. I want to do it better.’ I was always trying to be better than them.”
Jarrett’s brother Troy continues to be a source of motivation.
“A lot of it’s based on my brother, making him proud,” Mason Jarrett said. “I always want to make sure he says, ‘That’s my brother right there. He’s just great.’”
Troy Jarrett started as a sophomore on the Munster boys basketball team this past season. He’s also a talented baseball player, but Mason Jarrett couldn’t convince him to continue on that path too.
“I tried,” Mason Jarrett said. “I really did. I really did. I had a conversation with him, but he couldn’t.”
In the meantime, Mason Jarrett continued to develop his baseball skills.
“I’ve gotten a lot faster this year,” he said. “Hitting-wise, I’ve tried to open up my game. Last year, I lived a lot in left-center. This year, I’ve really opened up my game more to right field. That’s helped me a lot also.
“I’m a quick guy. I realized I should use it and go the opposite ...
