Latin’s Jackson Bubala is more than just a pitcher

Jackson Bubala likes to sing. His a cappella group the Latones recently performed Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire’’ as part of a performance at Latin.

Bubala is a Renaissance man who has been bringing plenty of fire to the baseball diamond for the Romans while leading a full life away from baseball.

“I’ve seen Jackson put on a lot of performances,’’ Latin shortstop Sam Agler said. “He’s a really well-rounded kid. He is a great guy to hang out with and has an awesome voice.’’

Bubala is a 6-5, 270-pound pitcher who will be heading to Dartmouth College next fall. In a recent game against St. Joseph in a Class 3A regional semifinal, his fastball was clocked as high as 93 mph by the Glenbard South coaching staff. He recorded 16 strikeouts and allowed two hits in that game for the Romans, who were eliminated from the playoffs by the Raiders in a game that Bubala did not pitch.

“The bigger part for him was really learning to manage the game and to be a pitcher — to develop the thinking part of it instead of just throwing it hard,’’ Latin coach Jay Tebbens said. “By his senior year, that’s the piece that I became most proud of. He was super-intelligent on the mound.’’

Bubala has four pitches: two-seam and four-seam fastballs along with a changeup and a curve. The difference in velocity between those pitches is what makes him so unhittable. His stat line speaks to his dominance. He has averaged more than two strikeouts per inning while allowing only two earned runs all year in six starts and allowing an average of just two hits per game.

“The guys in the field made me feel confident to pound the zone just knowing they were going to make the plays behind me,’’ Bubala said. “My coaches did an unbelievable job of calling games for me.’’

Never was his dominance more on display than in a regular-season game against Morgan Park Academy when every out was recorded as a strikeout: 21 in all. His perfect-game bid was broken up by a bunt single in the top of the seventh inning.

“My favorite thing about him is that he has played so much baseball during the year and he still approaches the game with the same enthusiasm and excitement of a Little Leaguer who is just excited to wear the uniform,’’ Tebbens said. `”He is a special kid in that respect…He respects the game so much, but it’s just one piece of who he is. There are so many other pieces.’’

Bubala has also sung in the Chicago Children’s Choir and had a small part in the movie “The Weatherman’’ when he was 10 years old, standing in line in front of Nicolas Cage’s character at an Arby’s. In addition to his high academic standing and his singing, Bubala, like all Latin students, performs community service on a regular basis.

“I do community service whenever I can,’’ Bubala said. “I help out with baseball camps during the summer and I do that whenever I can because I feel it’s only right for me to give back for all that I have gotten from my school and my community.’’