An opportunity is the one thing Morgantown native Aaron Jamison was hopeful for coming into his inaugural season with the West Virginia Mountaineer baseball program as a freshman on a talented roster.
After signing for his hometown team as a freshman at Morgantown High School, Jamison, a former Class AAA first-team all-state selection, wanted nothing more than to suit up for the Mountaineers and impact the field.
When injuries plagued the WVU roster early in the season, skipper Randy Mazey called on the freshman to step in as a designated hitter and center fielder.
“Coach Mazey always reminded us to be ready to take advantage of every opportunity we get,” Jamison said. As a freshman coming in, I lived by that day-to-day, and whenever I would get a chance to pinch hit or play the field at all I tried to make the most of it every single time. That helped me earn a starting spot and more playing time than I expected in my freshman year.”
Jamison appeared in 44 games with 17 starts in 2024. E totaled 17 hits, three doubles, a triple, three home runs, and 17 RBI while scoring 17 runs. He also stole eight bases in nine attempts.
“In my position, I had nothing to lose, so when I had an at-bat or went out on defense, I tried to be as confident as possible,” he said. “Having that mindset and keeping focused on the simple goals definitely helped me have some success early.”
Not only did he learn a lot on the field, but Jamison also enjoyed learning about the world of college baseball.
“The everyday grind and knowing that you can get through anything that comes your way if you put your mind to it is what stood out to me,” he said. “Being able to look at everything I do positively goes a long way for me, and it was great being around the group of guys we had this season. They made it easy.”
“The culture we had this year was so uplifting, and there wasn’t one individual that you couldn’t approach to talk to or ask for advice,” Jamison continued. “Mazey was big on everyone being one family and ensuring everyone was included in the team. I think it’ll continue to be the same under Coach Sabins going forward.”
This summer, Jamison is playing in the southern part of the state for the Bluefield Ridge Runners in the Appalachian League.
“Some of my goals are just to get more consistent at the plate and continue to polish my game,” he said. “I’m trying to focus on my approach at the plate and getting the barrel on the ball more, really trying to work on the offensive side of my game.”
