Four things to know about Ole Miss commit Jackson Miller as Dwyer baseball heads to region semifinals

Dwyer baseball is on the road again and star center fielder Jackson Miller is still in the driver's seat.

All season long, the Panthers have been in good hands, picking up win after win in hopes of returning to Fort Myers. A couple of pitstops remain before the 6A studs swing away at a historic state championship.

The region championship is where it all came to an end for the last two Dwyer baseball squads.

What's different now? The Doral Academy team that dealt those losses — and entered 2024 playoffs as No. 1 in not just the region but the division — is already out of title contention with a first-round upset dealt by eight-seed South Broward.

No. 4 West Boca Raton will host the Bulldogs while three-seed Dwyer travels to No. 2 Southwest in Miami for semifinals on Friday. That leaves a potential district championship rematch for the region title between the Bulls and the Panthers.

Region quarterfinal recap: Thrush brothers, Jackson Miller help Dwyer 'bounce back' against Martin County

More local SEC prospects: Florida commit Sam Lovitz and Crusader defense send Newman to semifinals

Among five Division I commits with the chops to deal some karma to a similarly star-studded West Boca is Miller, one of the most buzzed-about prospects in college and Major League Baseball. To get back to the final four, it's going to take a few more big games from the senior.

Here's what to know about Miller before the Panthers board the bus for the region semifinals:

Dwyer's star center fielder by the numbers

Throughout the year, Miller has had just one game where he didn't contribute a run, hit or RBI. Trinity Christian won that April 23 matchup 6-0.

In 76 at-bats on the season, Miller is hitting .447/.538/.724 with 32 runs on 34 hits, highlighted by nine doubles and three triples. He nailed his second home run of the year to give Dwyer the edge over rival Martin County in the region quarterfinals on Tuesday. In the field, he's had just one error, putting out 32 of 34 chances with one assist.

How and why did the Ole Miss commit skip to senior year?

With numbers like that, Miller isn't just a hot commodity for Power Five programs across the country but those in the big leagues.

In turn, the No. 29-ranked player for the 2025 recruiting class opted to reclassify and become a 2024 prospect back in November.

At last fall's WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Miller was under the eyes of countless scouts. His diving catches and .385/.609/.538 stat line didn't go unnoticed. In 23 plate appearances, he drew six walks and struck out twice, impressing with his ability to manipulate the bat for extra-base hits off of sliders and change-ups. It was decided after that outing that making the switch to the 2024 class was a smart move for his career, especially since Miller would've been 19 for the 2025 draft.

Being 18 on this year's draft day makes the Ole Miss commit's chances of getting picked up by a major league club that much greater.

Eyes on Oxford ... and the 2024 MLB draft

Projected to be the No. 260 pick by Baseball America, if Miller isn't selected in July, he has no problem with where he'd be headed next.

"Playing with such a decorated program in the SEC has always been a dream of mine since I picked up a bat," Miller said. "Being able to play in front of such an electric atmosphere like Ole Miss baseball is an experience every baseball player dreams of."

A "big reason" Miller chose the Rebels back in January 2022 is because he knew that joining the SEC would bring him the "best competition in college baseball."

"I fell in love with the tradition of baseball at Ole Miss and how much baseball means to the school," he said. "The moment I stepped into Swayze Stadium, I knew I was home. Between the players, fans, and coaches, their passion matched what I have for baseball."

A special connection to the Panthers that could bring a historic state title

Miller's passion is also what pushed him to join the Panthers for his final season on the varsity diamond.

"Our team is filled with hard workers and winners and everyone has each other's back," he said. "Every player on the roster is dedicated to this team and our goal of bringing the hardware home to Dwyer baseball."

A transfer from The Benjamin School, it's Miller's first and only run at Dwyer. However, he and a number of his teammates have shared rosters long before the 2024 season.

"Even though this has been my first year as a Panther, most don't realize that we all started playing ball together starting in Little League," Miller said. "We've come full circle our senior year with the opportunity to win a state championship, and we won't let the opportunity pass us up."

"There's more meaning behind just winning a state championship," he continued.

"This baseball team is a brotherhood."

Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dwyer's Jackson Miller has eyes on state title, MLB draft, Ole Miss, and more