‘Hard work pays off’ for Cougars’ Jon Trice

STUARTS DRAFT — Stuarts Draft’s Jon Trice is just excited to have the chance to play baseball for four more years.

The Cougars starting left fielder and pitcher dreamed of playing NCAA baseball since he was 13, playing Babe Ruth Little League ball, but doubted that he would ever get a chance to suit up in a high school uniform.

“With all these great players around here, I didn’t think I was going to get much playing time,” he said. “Then I worked hard and now I’m a starting left fielder and a pitcher. Hard work pays off.”

In late April, Trice announced that he would continue his career at Eastern Mennonite University, primarily as a pitcher.

“[EMU] called me during the summer and told me they wanted me to pitch for them,” he said. “The atmosphere is wonderful and they have a great elementary education program which I love.”

Since EMU is only 45 minutes north of Stuarts Draft, Trice felt that it was the perfect fit for him.

“It’s 45 minutes away so I can go home and get my laundry done if I want to,” he joked. “I also met the coaching staff and the players and I just love them.”

Trice has an arsenal of three pitches, a fastball, curveball and a slider. He said that currently his fastball tops out in the high 70s or low 80s and that his slider is his preferred pitch.

“It dances around the plate and has hitters guessing,” he said of his slider.

Trice was struggling with his location at the high school ranks, with his pitches sailing either over the catcher’s head or into the dirt. After working with the Cougars’ coaching staff, Trice has begun to pitch with a three-quarter sidearm and his location improved from there.

“I’m getting the ball down now,” he said

The willingness to work hard has helped Trice throughout high school and when he begins the next chapter of his career he hopes to carry that work ethic with him.

“I’m going to work as hard as I can to play,” he said. “I might get some pitching time in; I’m just going to work hard and before I get there.”