SALAMANCA — For someone who has been around sports his entire life, playing baseball in college is something that Jaxson Ross has never stopped working towards.
Now, all of that work for the Salamanca High School senior has paid off, as he has signed his National Letter of Intent with St. Bonaventure baseball and will join the program as a freshman in 2024.
“It’s something I’ve been working for my whole life,” Ross said. “The countless hours I put in the batting cage (and) on the field. It just feels good for it to be all put together. Finally one step closer to the big goal. The big dream every kid has.”
Ross was named to the Big 30 All-Star team last season, making him Salamanca’s first as a junior. With a .567 batting average and a .659 on-base percentage, he also struck out 92 batters and threw one no-hitter on the season in which he was a Big 30 Player of the Year nominee. Ross helped lead the Warriors to a 16-5 record and its first league title since 1974.
Getting to this point in his career hasn’t been easy for Ross. Regularly scheduled practices simply aren’t enough according to him. It’s what he did when nobody was watching — the extra hours in the cages and in the gym — that’s what he believes will set you apart from rest.
“If you want to be to that next level, you have to do more,” Ross said. “You always have to do more than what’s scheduled. So, the lifts, batting cages, throwing all that after the original practices is where it’ll get you.”
AS FOR what originally drew Ross to the Bona program, it had a lot to do with the hospitality of the coaching staff. One of the stars of the most recent Salamanca football team that made it all the way to the NYSPHSAA Class C semifinal, Ross recalled the positive messages he received from St. Bonaventure baseball coach Jason Rathbun. At the root of what he wanted to see in whichever college program he signed for, was a good set of coaches and he believes he has that in Rathbun and his staff.
“The coaches, they’re just unbelievable,” he said. “They’re awesome. They were awesome to me on my visit, on phone calls, on texts. Coach Rathbun was watching our whole playoff run through the football (season), texting me saying congratulations, all that. I just wanted to play for a nice, good set of coaches and St. Bonaventure has that.”
Rathbun is a big fan of Ross’ hitting ability and his dynamic as a two-way player. In a university press release on the Class of 2024 signings he said how eager he was to get to work with him.
“He has the ability to swing the stick with power and also has a mid-80s fastball on the mound,” Rathbun said. “He is a very talented athlete who has had a lot of success in football and basketball as well. We’re very excited to work with a talented athlete like him.”
Ross noted he had other offers on the table before he made his decision to sign with the Bonnies. However, the hometown connection and ties to his childhood made the decision a bit easier for him. Being only a short drive from home, Ross remembered going to watch the Bonnies throughout his youth. Now, he’ll be going from the bleachers to taking the field for one of his “dream schools.”
“There was options there,” Ross said. “Staying close to home, obviously, was a deciding factor. I’ve been going to St. Bonaventure games, my whole life being 15 minutes down the road, baseball, basketball, all that. And, you know, it was kind of one of my dream schools to be at. So, once I got those words from Coach Rathbun, over there, it was kind of, I was there immediately.”
However, the work is far from over.
According to Ross, there will be players there that may be more skilled or have established themselves in a role. If he wants the chance to take that field as soon as possible, he will need to work even harder.
“Obviously, there’s guys going to be there that are higher skilled, lift more weights and stuff,” Ross said. “I have to get in the gym and work even harder if I want to be able to play or impress the coaches immediately.”
THE SALAMANCA community has been a source of encouragement for Ross: little things like the neighborhood kids coming to greet him after a game, which he said helped him get this far in his athletic career.
“You know, there’s a family that lives down the road from me and their kids are always running over,” Ross said. “They were the first ones to say congratulations to me. And they’ve been doing that all season. First ones to tell me ‘Good game’ when I get home. This community is just awesome.”
As a three-sport athlete, Ross has a true passion for the world of sports. Despite a lack of downtime throughout the year, he doesn’t see himself doing anything else. Part of this has played into his decision to seek out a degree in sports management once he gets to St. Bonaventure in the fall.
“It’s nonstop all year round,” Ross said. “Football, basketball, baseball, and then in the summers, travel ball. It’s just what I love to do. I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”
The Salamanca community has been a source of encouragement for Ross. The little things like the neighborhood kids coming to greet him after a game, are some of the things that have helped him get this far in his athletic career.
“You know, there’s a family that lives down the road from me and their kids are always running over,” Ross said. “They were the first ones to say congratulations to me. And they’ve been doing that all season. First ones to tell me ‘Good game’ when I get home. This community is just awesome.”
