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Double Play

Double Play

Jordan Basile speaks at a Jamestown Jammers news conference at Diethrick Park after being named the team’s manager earlier this month. Basile was also named Jamestown Community College’s head coach Tuesday.

P-J file photo by Scott Kindberg

Three weeks after being named the manager of the Jamestown Jammers for the 2020 Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League season, Jordan Basile can add another entry to his ever-growing resume.

How does Jamestown Community College baseball coach sound?

“I’m excited about the opportunity,” Basile said Tuesday afternoon. “Coming back here and not just making it a Jammers’ thing, but now a JCC thing and solidifying I’m still at the college level (is exciting).”

Basile, a 2005 Jamestown High School graduate, replaces Matt Cummings, who coached the Jayhawks for four seasons.

In essence, Basile, who spent the past two years as the head coach at Patrick Henry (Virginia) CC, has hit the daily double in his hometown — managing the Jayhawks during the fall and the spring, and the Jammers during the summer.

“After the Jammers’ thing happened, I knew I probably wasn’t going to be going back to Patrick Henry,” he said. “Nonetheless, I’ve been in communication with a lot of recruits who originally had interest in coming to Patrick Henry that I’ve kind of kept in my back pocket if this opportunity arose.”

While admitting his returning roster is small (12 players), Basile noted that he has already signed four players in the last couple days, and he has six to 10 visits that are being scheduled with potential recruits over the next few weeks.

“There is no question we have work to do, but I have confidence we’ll get guys in here,” Basile said. “Although we don’t have a lot of time, I think some good things are going to happen. Whatever the fall roster is, I’m sure you’re going to see some different names on that spring roster as well. … Although it seems like school’s starting soon, there still is plenty of time to continue to build a roster and get to where we want to be and compete in our first year, which is the goal.”

Basile’s background indicates that he is equipped for the job.

A standout baseball player at SUNY Fredonia, — he is the Blue Devils’ career record holder for hits and runs scored — he later served as an assistant coach there. After working in player development for the Detroit Tigers during the 2011 season, he secured a position as an assistant coach for the University at Buffalo. He eventually completed work on his master’s degree while serving as an assistant coach at Lake Erie College, and later was named the head baseball coach at Patrick Henry CC where he compiled a 64-32 record and coached 22 players who moved on to NCAA Division I and Division II programs. Currently, he serves as an adviser to USA Baseball and is credentialed as a Certified Secrets of Champions integrated performance coach.

“Jordan is 100 percent a baseball guy,” Jamestown CC director of athletics and recreation George Sisson said. “He has terrific credentials that span everything — from all levels of college to professional. He has a proven track record of recruitment and player development.

“He’s a young man from our community who wants to be part of our community and wants to be part of what we’re doing at JCC. … I think it’s a great opportunity for him to be part of our athletic program.”

Basile said he intends to run JCC baseball like an NCAA Division I program.

“We take pride (in that), because that’s where you want to be,” he said. “That’s the goal.”

Basile noted that he would be bringing in Barry Powell as his pitching coach. Powell worked with Basile at Patrick Henry CC and has an extensive baseball background, including 10 years as a professional scout and a couple seasons as a minor league player.

“I think the key number you always look at is three years (to build the program), but I can confidently say I’d like to do that quicker,” Basile said. “I can confidently say that I think it’s very possible to do that quicker, just remembering that JCC has been rated the No. 1 junior college in New York state several times now. And what we have as far as facilities and cost, it’s hard to find that from a junior college.”

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