MORGANTOWN — The search has been ongoing for a number of months now for Aaron Jamison, ever since the former Morgantown High star began fall practices with the WVU baseball team.
Such is the usual life of a college freshman, going from big man on campus in high school to just trying to find any way to get on the field in college.
“I’m just now getting to the point to where I feel really confident,” Jamison said Wednesday, after the Mountaineers throttled Marshall 15-0 inside Kendrick Family Ballpark. “I’m starting to feel a lot more consistent in the box.”
That’s showing, and maybe Jamison is beginning to find a way for more playing time.
How? The long ball, baby.
For a second consecutive game Jamison smacked a home run. His first one of the season came in Sunday’s ugly loss against Ohio State.
True, it was a grand slam in the ninth inning, but the Buckeyes had already put 26 runs on the board by then.
“It was still a good opportunity,” Jamison says with a slight smile. “I haven’t got too many at-bats, so it was a matter of getting in the right mind set, that this may not come around too often.”
He followed that up with getting a start in centerfield and then blasting a 413-foot two-run home run against the Thundering Herd (6-14) that put WVU up 9-0 in the third inning.
“He’s been fun to watch,” WVU head coach Randy Mazey said. “Since I’ve been here, he’s been the only (Morgantown High) guy we’ve had, so it’s cool to see the fans gravitate toward him and to see him having some success.”
The Mountaineers (12-9) hit five home runs in all, including back-to-back shots by Kyle West and Reed Chumley in the first inning that led to a quick 5-0 lead.
Chumley hit two home runs in the game and the Houston Christian transfer is showing he really likes to play against Marshall.
In two games against the Thundering Herd this season — WVU has won those two games by a combined 24 runs — Chumley is 7 for 8 with three home runs and seven RBIs.
“I was just trying to see the ball and hit the ball,” said Chumley, who now leads WVU with a .333 batting average. “It crossed my mind a little bit. When I crossed home plate the second time, it hit me that was my third home run against them.”
It was the Mountaineers eighth straight win against Marshall, and they’ve won 15 of the last 16 meetings against their intrastate rival.
It was also WVU’s third shutout of the season. Gavin Van Kempen (4-1) picked up the win. He started and went three innings, while giving up four hits, no runs and struck out four.
But, back to Jamison, who may be the first Morgantown High alum to play for Mazey, but that comes with a story.
Jamison was offered a scholarship and committed to WVU when he was just 14 years old, and before he had ever played a single high school game for the Mohigans.
“Back in the day, before they changed the rules, we used to get commitments out of really young guys,” Mazey said. “That doesn’t really happen anymore, but we knew he was super talented. He’s got great tools. He’s got power. He’s got speed. He just has to become a great baseball player, and that takes longer than one season to do that.”
At 14, Jamison admits he wasn’t really thinking too much about college. Who is? He’s now got four collegiate starts under his belt and five career hits. Two of those are home runs, which is not a bad ratio to have.
“He’ll keep developing over time,” Mazey said. “He’s a tremendous worker. He’s so coachable and a pleasure to coach.
“It’s really cool for me to see what he’s doing as the local kid. I want to watch his career unfold and see how much better he gets. Hopefully, in a couple of years, everybody in this town will have seen him play for the Mountaineers and be really proud of the local kid.”
