While all his Little League friends wanted to play shortstop, Jace Roossien of Nahant had different plans.
“No one wanted to be behind the plate and I said, ‘Yeah, sure, I’ll try it because I like the gear. I thought it was cool,’” Roossien said. “I’ve been a catcher ever since – eight years later.”
Well, what a decision it turned out to be, as early next week, Roossien makes the trip to Dallas to represent Team Massachusetts and compete in the National High School Baseball Tournament on ESPN.
“I want to have fun doing this and just enjoy it,” said Roossien, who was blown away with the talent of the other Massachusetts selections. “That’s my main goal.”
Roossien – who now suits up for Phillips Academy in Andover – said the tournament “wasn’t really on my radar.” That was, until his name was listed in the New England Baseball Journal as a potential player to make the team.
“Someone told me my name was in the article,” Roossien said. “I found it really interesting.”
Then, it happened.
“I remember getting emails and texts,” Roossien said. “I called my parents… We were really excited about it.”
“It was really special to me to be a part of this team and represent Massachusetts,” said Roossien, who hit .400 with two doubles, two singles, three RBI, and three stolen bases across four games in the New Jersey Diamond Nation Super 17s Tournament.
Better yet, the tournament will be streamed on ESPN. The action begins Tuesday as Massachusetts helps launch the tournament against Nevada (10).
“I just want to go in there [and] work hard for my team,” Roossien said. “Expectations, I don’t really have any because this is already so far beyond what I thought it could be.”
Even his teachers found out, and are asking how they can watch come Tuesday.
Despite his humble nature, and when asked about making SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays, Roossien wouldn’t say no.
“That’s the goal,” a laughing Roossien said.“It’s ESPN, so it’s pretty great.”
Roossien’s family – on his father Tony’s side, who played at Oklahoma State University – lives around Dallas.
“It’s really special for all of us,” Roossien said. “They’re all going to be coming to the games and getting to see me play. Most of them haven’t seen me able to… It will be really fun.”
Speaking of Tony, he got his son into baseball from a very young age.
“Ever since I could hold a bat in my hand, I’ve been playing,” said Roossien, whose favorite part of the game is hitting. “According to my dad, I was a year-and-a-half when I first started to hit off the tee.”
And on top of Jace’s success on the diamond, baseball has helped in other ways, too.
“We spent so much time together,” Roossien said of his father. “That’s really gotten me close to him.”
Tony was drafted into the MLB out of high school.
“He always jokes. He got drafted really low to the point where that round no longer exists in the draft,” Roossien said. “I always say it’s impressive, and that’s one of my goals.”
Well, Jace is on his way, and looks for more success in the Lone Star State come Tuesday.
