Western Carolina University

PRONUNCIATION: Jackson LIE - duh

* Will carry a 13-game reached-base safely streak into his junior season in 2027.

2026 (Sophomore): Started 57 of his 58 games played, eight at second base and twice at third base before spending the bulk of the season at short stop with 47 starts ... Batted .289 (61-of-211), third on the team with 61 hits, including seven doubles and five home runs ... Batted .318 against right-handers with 54 of his 61 hits ... Had a 19-game reached base safely streak and a career-long seven-game hit streak ... Finished with nine two-out RBI ... Drew a team-best 35 walks, leading the WCU regulars witih a .422 on-base percentage ... Led WCU as part of turning 32 of the team's SoCon-leading 48 double-plays ... Recorded his first career double against Bowling Green (Feb. 20) in a 2-for-4 effort ... Collected back-to-back, 3-for-4 appearances, doubling among his three hits against Bowling Green (Feb. 21) ... Reached base four times, adding an intentional walk in the seventh inning, and collected a career-high four RBI in a win over Akron (Feb. 24) ... Hit his first collegiate home run in a win over Morehead State (March 12) as part of two homers in the series ... Laced a one-out single past a drawn-in infield to push WCU ahead in a road win at Wofford (May 2) ... SoCon's lone semifinalist on the updated Brooks Wallace Award Midseason Watch List ... Named to the 2025-26 Academic All-Southern Conference team.

2025 (Freshman): Played in 11 games with four games started, each coming at third base … Also saw time at second base as a reserve … Finished the season with a .118 batting average (2-for-17), with a double and an RBI in limited playing time behind a pair of seniors … Walked twice and was plunked once … Recorded six putouts and four assists in the field … Made his collegiate debut and first career start on opening weekend, at Georgia Southern (Feb. 15) … Drew the first of two walks at home against UNC Asheville (March 25) … Broke an 0-for-13 start to his career at the plate with his first career hit and first extra-base hit with a double at UNC Asheville (April 23). ... Named to the 2024-25 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll

Prior to Western Carolina: Was named third-team NCHSAA All-State as a senior after batting .407 with 11 doubles, three triples, and two home runs ... Scored 31 runs ... Named All-WNC and NCBCA All-Region 8 … State champion in baseball where he played for former Catamount, Jackie Corn … Mountain 7 Conference Player of the Year in basketball and baseball … Was the 11th player in West Henderson High basketball history to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau.

Personal: Is the son of Katie and John Lyda … Has a sister, Kayden, who plays softball … His father, John, also won a state championship at West Henderson High and played collegiately at Brevard College, and his mother was an All-American women’s soccer player at Milligan University.

WCU Career Game Highs:

• At Bats: 5, 12 times – MR: vs. Samford (SoCon) (5/22/26)
• Hits: 4, vs. Radford (3/6/26)
• Runs: 3, twice – MR: at Winthrop (4/2/26)
• Doubles: 1, eight times – MR: at Gardner-Webb (4/21/26)
• Home Runs: 1, five times – MR: UNCG (5/16/26)
• RBI: 4, AKRON (2/24/26)
• Walks: 3, ETSU (4/24/26)