Photography by Steve Buchanan
Annapolis Area Christian School’s Ryan Jones had a legitimate reason to be concerned. Coming off a 2022 baseball season in which he batted .406, Jones experienced his worst slump to start this past spring.
Jones, now a senior, was batting below .100 from the leadoff spot after six games. In previous seasons, he batted in the middle of the order displaying outstanding contact and power.
“I just wasn’t seeing the ball very well,” Jones explains. “I was grounding out, popping up, and striking out a lot. I feel the leadoff spot wasn’t my thing.” It affected Jones mentally. “I was thinking I wouldn’t get recruited by a really good school,” Jones says. “I’d be good for a junior college.”
AACS Baseball Coach Matt Selmer understood Jones’ concerns and moved him to the cleanup spot. Jones’ hitting improved dramatically, along with his confidence—he batted nearly .400 the rest of the season.
Jones, a three-year varsity starter at shortstop and third base, also showed his tremendous work ethic—another big strength. “I took a lot of extra batting practice every single day,” says Jones, who played club baseball this past summer for the Fredericksburg, Virginia-based Canes North Scout 17-U elite team. “I worked on drills with coach Selmer to see the ball better.”
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Jones now can put the fears about disinterest from colleges aside, too.
The college recruiting process got off to a good start with Centenary University in New Jersey offering him a spot on its team. In addition, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Virginia Tech, Mount St. Mary’s, and McDaniel College recruited him.
“I always wanted to play college baseball ever since I have known you can get a scholarship for it,” Jones says. “I was around 13 years old.”
Jones visited five of those schools and ended up committing to Centenary in late August. The enthusiasm of a new coaching staff appealed to Jones who plans to major in sports management. “Playing at the next level is a huge accomplishment,” Selmer says. “He had a couple of options. He found a school that really wanted him. They really saw how much of a quality of a player he is. It’s a really good fit.”
Canes North Head Baseball Coach Taylor Bloom adds: “I think he will be able to go to that school and immediately contribute in the lineup with his bat. I see him playing first base, third base, or even the outfield.”
Besides playing for AACS, suiting up for several high-level club teams, including API Academy and the Lake Shore Blue Sox, has elevated Jones’ level of play. The Glen Burnie resident has played baseball for 13 years overall.
“It has helped me see better pitchers, with higher velocity, and all-around hitters,” Jones says. “I am able to get my bat speed quicker because we faced pitchers who threw 90 miles per hour.”
Jones batted .347 for Canes North this past summer while also showing his ability as a pitcher, going 1-0 with a 0.95 ERA and allowing only 22 hits in 30 innings.
“I started coaching him back at API and he’s always been a really consistent hitter for me,” Bloom says. “He always came through when the game was on the line. He batted third and I wouldn’t take him out of that spot because he was always driving in runs.”
At AACS in 2023, Jones led the team in doubles (7) and finished second in on-base percentage (.403), slugging percentage (.426), and batting average (.324).
He batted .406 as a sophomore and .310 in his first year in high school.
“He is a clutch player and definitely a leader on the field,” Selmer says. “He leads by example and competitive drive.”
Jones is one of the best athletes at his school. He played football for two years, then started in goal for soccer the past two seasons.
“He is a true competitor and workhorse in all the sports he has done,” AACS Athletic Director Josiah Wolf says. “Everything he does, he succeeds in it. He picked up goalie so quickly and excelled at it.”
Do you have a local athlete to nominate? Send What's Up? an email to editor@whatsupmag.com.
