By Tim Morse
Georgia Dugout Preview
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Westside High School coach Gerald Barnes thought the blonde-haired boy had potential when he first saw him as a sophomore two years ago.
The hard-throwing left-hander was throwing in the high 80s, but pitcher Jonathan Jahn had some control issues. Barnes believed if Jahn could gain control of his pitches, he could be something special.
A year later, Barnes and the Westside coaches were right. Jahn enters the 2016 season as one of the state’s top left-handers and after helping the Patriots to the Class AAA semifinals where Westside lost to eventual state champion Blessed Trinity, the Patriots are looking to make another deep playoff run behind Jahn and a talented group of seniors this spring.
The senior has signed with South Carolina, but he could potentially be a high pick in the June Amateur Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.
Jahn burst onto the scene two years ago when he struck out 15 Jeff Davis batters in a state baseball playoff series. His movement as well as his velocity made him virtually untouchable. Last season, he went 9-1 with a 1.28 ERA. His only loss came against Blessed Trinity in Game 1 of the state semifinals.
His command and his humbleness were enough to impress Titans coach Andy Harlin.
“He’s one of those guys you look forward to facing because he is so good,” Harlin said. “You can’t appreciate him until you see him. You can scout him all week, but he has some good stuff. He’s special.”
Barnes, the state’s second all-time winningest coach with 831 victories, has seen his share of special pitchers. He ranks Jahn near the top.
“The Good Lord gives you the arm … you can’t coach that up,” Barnes said. “Some are blessed to have that gift. Jonathan is one of those.”
Jahn brings other intangibles to the Westside team such as his speed. His rifle-arm makes him an excellent right fielder when he’s not pitching.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior has been clocked at 90 or higher on multiple occasions.
But Jahn knows his game could be better had he taken it more seriously when he was younger. He liked football better and played quarterback in middle school.
“When I was about 10, I could throw hard, but I didn’t know where the ball was going,” Jahn said. “Maybe I didn’t love baseball back then as much as I thought.”
He eventually gave up football and got serious about baseball, working out during the offseason where he lifted weights, ran hard and pitched a lot. Not only did he improve his velocity, he improved his strength too.
He thought he had a chance to be the No. 3 pitcher as a sophomore behind Westside pitchers Austin Childers and David Hagelston.
When injuries hit the pitching rotation during the middle of the 2014 season and Westside faced Harlem in a key region game, Jahn got his chance.
“He was so excited to pitch that he used all his energy after three or four innings, so we had to go get him,” Barnes said. “From that day, he’s been very good for us.”
Jahn continued to improve, then he got major attention after his 15-strikeout performance against Jeff Davis.
“I got calls from places like Duke who wanted to sign him,” Barnes said. “They had never seen him pitch, but they heard all about him. Then everybody jumped on the bandwagon.”
That list eventually included South Carolina and Vanderbilt, a pair of Southeastern Conference powers who have combined for three national titles in the last 10 years.
Vanderbilt came in late after Jahn had been offered by the Gamecocks. The senior honored his commitment with South Carolina.
But before he sets foot on the campus in Columbia, he has one more goal before he leaves high school.
“I’d love to win a state title,” he said. “That would be a nice way to go out.”
Westside-Augusta pitcher Jonathan Jahn has signed with
South Carolina.
|