RINCON — Jacob Teston has his future mapped out and he wants to keep traveling a baseball road.
Teston, who intends to become a physical therapist, recently wrapped up his senior season for the Emmanuel College Lions. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound former Effingham County star batted .402 with 38 RBI and 39 runs scored in 48 games.
“As much as I don’t want to be away from the game, I think this will keep me close to the game, also,” Teston said. “I’ll get to help rehab athletes back to where they were.”
Teston is a kinesiology major with lofty goals.
“I’ll be in physical therapy school for about three years and then I will be able to open my own practice or go on and look into trying to get with a specific team,” he said.
Teston said he will answer whereever a career opportunity knocks.
“Honestly, I’ll go whereever I’m needed,” he said.
The Lions needed Teston in a variety of places on the field this season.
“I played all three positions in the outfield and I finished the season at first base,” he said.
The move to first base was prompted by injuries. It covered the final dozen or so games.
“I messed up my shoulder pretty bad and I had been DH’ing for awhile,” Teston said. “Once our other outfielders started hitting well (head coach Jeff Kilgore) stuck me at first base because our first baseman went down with an injury as well.”
The switch to the infield was a little unsettling, Teston admitted.
“I liked to pretend that I knew what I was doing,” he joked.
Teston played his first two collegiate seasons at East Georgia State College before transferring to Emmanuel College, which is in Franklin Springs and a member of NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas.
“I enjoyed my time here immensely,” Teston said. “I’ll miss the brothers that I’ve gained through the years and the people I’ve been able to meet, and definitely the places I’ve been able to go.
“I’ve explored states that I haven’t been to and it’s been a great experience.”
Teston credits his grandfather, Ricky Daniels, for starting him on his baseball path.
“He’s kind of the reason all of this is going on,” Teston said. “He’s pushed me to do all this and he started me with baseball. A lot of the thanks goes out to him.”
Teston is grateful that his playing career ended on a high note as he compiled his best statistics as a senior.
“It was a good year to go out on, for sure,” he said.