GRINDING FOR A GOAL: Medellin Signs with Baylor, Bright Future in the Game
When Jordan "JoJo" Medellin wakes up in the morning, no matter if he was unhittable or struggling off the bump, there is a sense of excitement that comes over him when he arrives at the ballpark.
“I truly love the grind of baseball,” Medellin said. “I come to the field excited and eager to better my game.”
The skills that the Bay Area Christian School senior has developed over years of practice hasn’t just caught the attention of area teams but also colleges.
Medellin signed with Baylor University.
“I’ve always dreamed of playing baseball for Baylor University,” Medellin said. “When I participated in a camp there, the coaches made a great first impression and helped me understand what it means to play with ‘Baylor’ across your chest. The campus was amazing and helped me feel right at home.”
The right-handed pitcher is lights out on the mound.
Medellin has a mix of a four-seam and two-seam fastball – his best pitch – that he can run up there between 86 and 89 miles per hour. Mix in a circle change and knuckle curve, you can see why he is hard to hit.
One of his highlight mound outings this season came against Logos Prep with a complete game, one-hit performance with 13 strikeouts and no walks.
But he can also bring the boom stick.
At the Father Wilson Tournament in March, Medellin lowered the bat head and went 8 of 14 (.571) with six RBIs, one home run and three doubles.
The success Medellin is having on the field in 2022 can be credited to his work on and off the field in the offseason.
“My main focus was to get stronger physically and to continue to master the fundamentals of the game,” Medellin said. “I take great pride in my mental strength as well. Even if I don’t have my best stuff that game, I try to do my best to go out there and compete every single pitch.”
Last season, Medellin was a part of the Broncos team that hoisted the TAPPS Division III State Championship trophy, which he calls “truly a blessing and a great experience.”
As Medellin puts the final touches on his high school career and gets ready to pull on the green and gold of Baylor, the senior hopes his peers remember him for more than baseball.
“I would like people to remember not just my ability on the baseball field but how good of a friend I was,” he said. “Also, the way I treated people with respect and kindness.”
With his skill and that mindset, Medellin is bound for great things at Baylor and maybe even one day we could see him run out of the bullpen for his hometown Houston Astros.