It is with heavy hearts that we communicate this news. Kentucky Baseball Player Ben Jordan, who also played for the basketball team last season, has died at the age of 22. Zack Klemme, the sports editor of The Daily Independent in Ashland, shared the news this morning on Twitter.
Grief over former West Carter star two-sport athlete Ben Jordan has passed away. Jordan was 22.
He played baseball in Kentucky and was also on the Wildcats ’basketball list in 2019-20.
– Zack Klemme (@zklemmeADI) 12 January 2021
During his season as a starter, Jordan appeared in two games, taking just one shot against Eastern Kentucky. Over the summer, he decided to return to baseball full time. He was a right-handed pitcher for the Cats and played both sports at West Carter High School in Olive Hill, Kentucky, where he was the team’s leading rebounder and shot blocker of all time and was eighth in school history in career points. As a senior, he won the Eastern Kentucky Defensive Player of the Year and added the EKC First Team honors during his senior season.
“Like so many others in the state of Kentucky, basketball has been a part of my life since I was a kid,” Jordan said in a statement after joining the basketball team last fall. “When the opportunity arose for him to join the British basketball team, I wanted to do it with an open mind, especially because I walked away from the sport to concentrate on baseball. After a few days of practice, it is clear to me that I want to commit to this.
Baseball was and will remain my top priority, but I’m excited about the opportunity and the challenge of participating in two sports I love. I talked to Coach (Nick) Mingione about it and we did it with his full blessing. I look forward to helping practice this season and being a great teammate. ”
“I really appreciate that Ben helped our team and agreed to be a part of this,” John Calipari said at the time. ‘He has a good attitude and a way about him that fits in really well with this team. The guys have already embraced him as one of our own. I think he will be an excellent addition to this team. ”
As a baseball player, Jordan was an All-American Under Armor in 2016, the Rawlings-Perfect Game second team All-American in 2017, and he is considered the overall baseball prospect no. 97 and the right pitcher no. 33 in the 2017 class. After Jordan re-scored his freshman year in Kentucky, Jordan returns to the field in 2019, where he appears in ten games and takes 8.2 total overs, allowing eight hits and seven runs, while eight hit.
Our hearts go out to his family and friends in this devastating time.
UPDATE: UK has confirmed the news.
Our hearts are broken today. Rest assured, @ ben3jordan. You will be a part of us forever. ? pic.twitter.com/n94brIHb1B
Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) 12 January 2021