FAYETTEVILLE -- The passport Arkansas pitcher Zach Jackson got for his high school senior trip to Mexico in 2013 is going to come in handy.
Jackson said he expects to begin his professional baseball career in Vancouver, Canada, after being picked by the Toronto Blue Jays in the third round of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft Friday.
The Vancouver Canadians are the Blue Jays' short season Class A minor-league team.
"I assume I'll start in Vancouver," said Jackson, a junior right-hander from Berryville, Okla. "I've heard Vancouver is beautiful, so I'm looking forward to going up there."
Jackson, the 102nd overall pick, said he's flying Monday morning to Florida to go over contract details with the Blue Jays.
"I'm planning to sign unless something happens I'm not expecting," he said. "Not that going back to Arkansas for my senior year would be a bad a thing, but the way things are looking right now, I think it's all going work out with the Blue Jays."
Jackson said after he was drafted, his mother, Gina, went to the family's bank to retrieve his passport.
"It was going to close about 30 minutes after I got drafted, so my mom ran out to get my passport from a safety deposit box," Jackson said. "She didn't get to stay and celebrate with us, because I needed my passport before I leave Monday."
Jackson was among two current Razorbacks picked through the draft's first 10 rounds, along with Clark Eagan, a junior who played first base, third base and the outfield this season.
Eagan was a ninth-round selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 285th pick overall.
Cole Stobbe, an fielder from Omaha (Neb.) Millard West High School who has signed with the Razorbacks, was the first pick of the third round Friday and 78th overall by the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Minnesota Twins drafted Arkansas signee Ben Rortvedt, a catcher from Verona Area (Wis.) High School, in the second round Thursday night as the 56th overall pick.
Rortvedt has a slotted signing bonus of $1.41 million according to MLB.com. Stobbe's slgning bonus is slotted at $813,500.
Eagan started 55 games this season and hit .297 with 7 home run and 37 runs batted in. His slotted signing bonus is $162,000.
Jackson's slotted signing bonus is $585,100.
"It may not be as much as some people were saying I'd get at the beginning of the season," Jackson said, "but at the end of the day, it's a lot more money than I've ever seen."
Jackson came into the season projected as a possible first-round pick after going 5-1 with 9 saves and a 2.10 earned-run average as a sophomore. He had 89 strikeouts in 60 innings and held opponents to a .196 batting average.
"Jackson's a big leaguer," Missouri State Coach Keith Guttin said after Jackson retired the final 11 batters in the Razorbacks' 3-2 NCAA super regional victory over the Bears last season to advance to the College World Series. "He's got a breaking ball that very few people on earth can hit."
Jackson's curveball and a fastball in the mid-90s made him an attractive pick for major league teams despite his struggles this season when he went 3-4 with 4 saves and a 5.09 ERA. In 53 innings this season, including five starts and 13 relief appearances, he had 66 strikeouts but allowed 47 hits and 40 walks with 8 wild pitches and 6 hit batters.
"It was a disappointing season, especially because I feel like I had really good freshman and sophomore years," Jackson said. "I just couldn't seem to get the hang of everything."
Jackson said he got a call from a Blue Jays scout, telling him the team was going to draft him.
"Obviously, my numbers this year weren't third-round numbers, but I think I have a pretty good track record overall at Arkansas," Jackson said. "So I'm appreciative of the Toronto organization for having the faith in me. Hopefully, I can pay them back."
Sports on 06/11/2016