Last modified: Friday, July 3, 2009 2:19 AM EDT PawSox beat Jackson, Yanks BY PETER GOBIS SUN CHRONICLE STAFF PAWTUCKET - Admittedly, it was a tough call a few years ago, listening to the pitches by collegiate basketball coaches, including former PC Friar and current University of Texas mentor Rick Barnes or pursue a professional baseball career. Austin Jackson took the pitch from the New York Yankees, accepting an $800,000 signing bonus and beginning his ascent up the organizational ladder - such a leap that the 22-year old from Denton, Texas is rated the No. 1 prospect in the Yankees farm system. With a .320 batting average, with a .444 slugging percentage, with 88 hits in 72 games, the fleet-footed centerfielder has "major leaguer" written all over his 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame. "With the Yankees the spotlight is on them all the time, there's no rush, not at all to get up there," said Jackson, whose Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees came out on the short end of a 4-3 score to the Pawtucket Red Sox Thursday evening at McCoy Stadium. With the contracts of Johnny Damon and Xavier Nady to expire with the Yankees at the close of the 2009 season, Jackson seems to be grooming himself for a heir-apparent place in centerfield in the Bronx. "There's so much stuff that I can learn at this (AAA) level and improve upon," said Jackson, who was drafted in the eighth round by the Yankees in 2005, while attending Ryan High. "Everything is going well for me right now, but I'm still trying to show the Yankees that I am improving, that I'm ready to make that next step." Jackson is batting in the No. 2 spot for the Scranton Yankees, the No. 2 hitter too with his average, with 25 walks, with 13 stolen bases, with 24 extra base hits, with 22 multiple-hit games. Jackson is the fifth-leading hitter in the International League, with the third most hits, with the fifth best on-base percentage. Having gone from A-level two years ago to AA-last year and now to AAA, "the pitching is better, everybody is good, you're playing against guys with no weaknesses," said Jackson, humbled by his reputation and notoriety. "I just definitely want to be ready whenever (a promotion to the MLB roster of the Yankees), but I don't think about that. When I'm ready, I'll be ready -- I try to keep those thoughts out of my head." Jackson's head was spinning because he loved basketball so much, that he was about to sign an NCAA Letter of Intent to attend Georgia Tech. He envisioned himself as a two-sport athlete, a college basketball player and a pro baseball player. "I talked to a couple of dual sport athletes and they said it was rough on their bodies," said Jackson. "It was hard for me, I wanted to play both professionally." So Jackson opted for a Yankee jersey instead of a Longhorn or Yellow Jacket uniform. He has made just one error, but could be a bit more discrete at the plate, what with 74 strikeouts and 25 walks. "I've struck out more than what I'd like, but that comes from trying to do too much," he said. During the off-season, Jackson changed his batter's box habit's a bit, taking his leg kick away, "to help me keep from drifting, I used to drift a lot," he added. Jackson batted .345 in the Florida State League and batted .285 with AA-Trenton. He was named the best defensive outfielder last year in the Eastern League and named the Arizona Fall League's top prospect. "At this (AAA) level, pitchers know your weaknesses, so you have to be disciplined," said Jackson. The Yankees might envision him as a No. 3, 4 or 5 batter in the order, but Jackson is generally in the No. 2 slot for SWB, "I like it, to move the runner over, it's situational hitting. "Right now, I take things day to day, game to game. I'm trying to improve things and be myself. You have to have a game plan." Foul Balls Starting pitcher Clay Buchholz and reliever Fernando Cabrerra were the PawSox selections to the IL All-Star team ... LHP Kris Johnson (3-7) hurls for the PawSox in tonight's 6:15 p.m. start, followed by another fireworks display ... "I'm just trying to get myself back in there, I don't have a choice," said SS Jed Lowrie of his wounded knee condition ... Jackson had two hits off Buchholz (seven innings, five hits, one walk, seven K's), SWB scoring three runs (on four hits) off the RHP in the fourth inning. Buchholz (6-1) retired the first 10 batters he faced ... Paul McAnulty socked HR No. 10 for the PawSox, a solo shot to RF in the first inning, while having a double and scoring on an error in the fourth inning ... The PawSox took a 4-3 lead with a pair of sixth inning runs, Bubba Bell having a game-tying RBI-double and Dusty Brown's ground ball bringing in the go-ahead run ... Freddy Guzman had two hits, his 12th multiple hit game ... SWB 2B Kevin Russo had a 25-game hitting streak snapped ... Yankee C Jose Molina played six innings (0-for-2) in a rehab assignment from a quadriceps strain ... PawSox 3B Angel Chavez had a terrific game defensively with five assists, initiating a double-play to end the seventh inning ... DH Chris Carter is 2-for-19 over the past five games ... The win was the PawSox' 18th come from behind success ... Cabrera took over in the ninth inning in relief, earning his 17th save, stranding the potential tying run at third base ... "It was tough to read balls, the overcast and haze," said PawSox manager Ron Johnson ... Buchholz could have been done in by McAnulty losing a flyball in leftfield, resulting in the three SWB, but "you get mad, but you let it go. That's the way it goes."