See all posts in the Kirk’s Captain Corner series

(Kirk’s Captain Corner is a regular feature that will allow Carver County residents to get to know the student-leaders of the various teams in our high schools. Today, we feature senior Jacob Welter, Co-Captain of the Chaska Hawks Baseball team.)

Your grandfather, Dale, is perhaps the all-time ambassador and historian for Chaska Baseball. Is it safe to say you’ve grown up with baseball your entire life?

Absolutely, my dad and grandpa both raised me around the game for as long as I can remember.

What do you enjoy the most about the sport?

Being able to hang out with teammates and friends is the best part.

You were a standout on the Hawks football team the past couple of years. What are the challenges of being a two-sport athlete?

I think the most challenging is the workload of the two sports. Especially with football and baseball, the summers get hard to manage. Traveling to tournaments and summer camp for football are very time consuming.

Both of your parents played college athletics (mom Emily played volleyball at Delaware, dad Eric played baseball at Minnesota).  What advice have they given you over the years?

They have helped me a lot with the mental side of sports and helped me through the ups and downs of that. They have given me lots of advice about emotional control and staying focused in games.

What’s the best “baseball prank” you’ve played on a teammate?

In a youth game I tried to see how many pieces of gum I could stick to a teammates hat without them noticing.

What are your plans for next year?

I’m attending the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. I will be playing baseball and studying business.

What has it meant to you to be a team captain?

It means a lot to me to be a captain because of the impact on community. Sports are a big part of the Chaska community and being able to be a leader of two of those teams is amazing.