A 2008 graduate and All-State selection of West Lincoln High School, Jake Watts left West Lincoln as one of the most decorated high school players the area had seen in quit some time.  Jake added to his All-State honors with back-to-back claims on the American Legion Area IV Player of the Year.  He went on to play for Coach Rusty Stroupe at Gardner Webb University.  Although he was recruited to make an impact in the lineup, as a freshman:  Jake made 12 appearances on the mound for the Bulldogs.  In 3 of those outings Jake was the starter, as he totaled 32 innings and finished the season with a 1-2 record (his lone win can at Davidson).  As a sophmore:  Jake struggled through the fall and into the beginning of the regular season, but by season's end, he had established himself as a mainstay in the middle of the bulldog lineup. He...  Played in 51 games ... Made 46 starts ... Moved full time to the outfield after spending much of freshman season on the mound ... Responded by finishing second on the team with a .362 batting average ... Collected 63 hits, scored 30 runs and drove in 27 runs on the season ... Had four home runs, eight doubles and a triple ... Stole four bases ... Ranked second on the team with three outfield assists defensively ... Led team with a .454 on base percentage ... Struck out just 17 times in 174 at bats ... Posted 19 games with at least two hits, and eight games with at least three hits ... Went 3-for-4 with an RBI at USC Upstate (3/24) ... Was 4-for-4 with a double and a triple vs. Winthrop (4/3) ... Went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI vs. VMI (4/10) ... Went 3-for-4 with an RBI double at North Carolina A&T (4/14) ... Was 3-for-4 with three RBI and a home run at High Point (5/7) ... Went 3-for-6 with an RBI in the series finale at High Point (5/9) ... Was 3-for-5 with a career-high five RBI, including a home run, at UNC Asheville (5/22) in the regular season finale.  As a junior: Jake had a tremendous season as he helped lead the Bulldogs in several offensive categories.  Jake's finest hour was arguably the week of April 25th when he was named Big South Player of the Week.  During that week... Watts batted .500 (8-16) with seven RBI in four wins last week.  He also had two doubles, one home run, three walks, a .579 on-base percentage and a .812 slugging percentage.  His two-run home run in game two vs. Presbyterian College gave Gardner-Webb a 2-0 lead in the first inning, while his two-run double in the first inning of game three against PC gave the Runnin' Bulldogs another early lead.  Watts also had a key outfield assist in game two that prevented the Blue Hose from scoring, and he opened the series with a 3-5 day with two RBI.  Watts also was 2-3 with an RBI double in Gardner-Webb's midweek win over Furman as he helped GWU go 3-0 in one-run games last week. Jake's junior season had attracted several professional scouts, but unfortunately Jake was unable to compete for the Bulldogs during his senior year.