Major:Â Communications
Hometown:Â Sacramento, CA
Career Highlights:Â Four-time letter winner for Baseball
Biography: Howard was a member of the Diamond Dons for four years on the Hilltop. He came to USF from C.K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento where he earned All-Metro League honors three times, including an MVP selection as a senior. In 1998, as a freshman for the Green and Gold he emerged as the team's starter in center field midway through the season, playing in 52 games with 38 starts. Howard hit .281 with six doubles, a triple, four homers, 15 RBI, nine stolen bases and 35 runs scored. In 1999, he batted .211 in nine games with six starts before suffering a season-ending injury, then in 2000 he hit .291 despite missing the first nine WCC games due to a broken hand. He ranked sixth on the team in hits(46), rated in the top five in doubles (10) and RBI (27). In his final season with USFÂ he established a career-high with seven home runs including a memorable solo shot in USF's win at #1 Stanford.
Why Howard Chose USF: "I chose USF for the academics, its proximity to home and the baseball."Â
Favorite USF Memories: "I have fond memories from when I hit a home run on the road against #1 Stanford."Â
They Said It:Â "Jason is by far one of the most talented players in the WCC and in all of Division I baseball. There is not a single skill Jason does not possess," USF Head Coach Nino Giarratano.Â
GENERAL CAPSULE - Great left-handed pitcher with 84-88 mph fastball... great savvy and confidence... great base running instincts...great power from the left side...will be team's go-to guy as the team's left-handed closer in 2003 when needed... key staple in center field... also key offensive weapon.
AT USF (2002) - Suffered a back injury and did not play.
AT USF (2001) - Established a career-high with seven home runs including a memorable solo shot in USF's win at #1 Stanford(4/17)... also set career marks in hits (51) and extra-base hits(16)... ranked second on the team in home runs (7), shared fourth place in hits, third in RBI (26), runs (37) and total bases (81)...hit .296 with four home runs and 14 RBI during West Coast Conferenceplay... had a big day in a win against BYU (2/6), going 2-for-6with a three-run homer un, finishing with four RBI... launched a pair of home runs on a 3-for-5 day against Gonzaga (3/19)... went2-for-4 and crushed a three-run home run on a 2-for-4 day against #1 Stanford (5/9)... turned in 13 multi-hit games with two three-hit days... collected a pair of hits in four consecutive games to end the season.
AT USF (2000) - Hit .291 despite missing the first nine WCC games due to a broken hand... ranked sixth on the team in hits(46)... rated in the top five in doubles (10) and RBI (27)... saw action in 41 games with 39 starting nods... turned in 13 multi-hit games and knocked in three runs against Arizona (1/30/00), Cal Poly (2/19/00) and Portland (4/8/00)... earned three walks against Sacramento State (4/11/00)... only Don to homer during Hawaiiseries (2/11/00) and added another blast against the Pilots.
AT USF (1999) - Batted .211 in nine games with six starts before suffering a season-ending injury... collected four hits, three for extra bases... hit two home runs, with an impressive 10 runs batted in... continued to dominate Southern Utah launching a solo home run,his second against SUU... won medical redshirt.
AT USF (1998) - Emerged as the team's starter in center field midway through the season... played in 52 games with 38 starts...hit .281 with six doubles, a triple, four homers, 15 RBI, nine stolen bases and 35 runs scored... also tied for second on the team with 30 base on balls despite just 135 official at-bats... had a blistering five-game hot streak in the middle of the season,raising his average from .282 to .345 by going 9-for-13... stretch included a perfect 6-for-6 day (3B, HR, 4 RBI, 4 runs scored) in a double header versus Southern Utah.
PREP CAREER/OTHER BASEBALL EXPERIENCE - Put together a big prep career at C.K. McClatchy High School... earned all-Metro League honors three times, including an MVP selection as a senior... compiled a 22-3record on the mound in his three seasons... hit .344 as a junior with 32 RBI and 14 stolen bases.
PERSONAL - Jason Michael Howard... goal for this season is to win the WCC... nickname is "J-How"... chose USF for the academics,its proximity to home and the baseball... favorite sports figure is al Ripken, Jr.... the best thing about being a student-athlete is learning life's lessons through sports... the best advice I've ever been given is "Listen more than you talk"... the most impressive people I've ever met are my parents, Mike and Kay Howard... bornAugust 6, 1979 in Sacramento, CA.
