By Steve Svetovich
It’s not easy to be a scholar-athlete at a high level.
Scranton Prep senior right handed pitcher Jordan White has no problem showing how it’s done.
Son of Don and Judy White, Dunmore, Jordan, 18, has a highly impressive 3.8 academic average while fashioning a 4-3 record and sparkling 1.25 ERA on the mound for the Scranton Prep baseball team.
Jordan will be attending a Penn State University Worthington campus in Dunmore in the fall where he may study education and pre law in hopes of entering the field of law as a state policeman or attorney.
He helped his team to a 6-6 record this season under coach Mark Seitzinger.
Prep lost in the opening round of the playoffs to Berwick, 7-3.
Jordan, who played four years of baseball at Prep, finished the season with 40 innings pitched, 38 strikeouts and only 22 hits and eight walks allowed. He pitched a one-hit complete game shutout against Valley View, striking out 10. He fired a four- hit complete game shutout against Abington Heights, striking out six.
Well rounded as a student-athlete, he is a member of student council, the Scranton Prep players group, the mock trial group, the national honor society and director of the annual student retreats.
“I love it at Scranton Prep,” he said. “I love the whole concept of a Jesuit education and existing for other people. That has led me towards law. The service to others aspect gave me a whole new point of view.”
Well spoken and polite, Jordan said he learned three major things about pitching from Joe Ross, his former Scranton Prep varsity coach. “He coached me for two seasons,” said Jordan. “He taught me three things I will never forget. Work fast, throw strikes and change speeds. Those three things I will take with me for the rest of my life.”
Jordan also had high praise for Tony Cimino, his junior varsity baseball coach at Scranton Prep. “He told me to never give up and that you always have to be a team player. He said it’s not about you. You can control only what you can control. He was great as a coach.”
Jordan said his team had a lot of chemistry this season. “This team had a lot of talent and we grew a lot as a team. The defense is the best in the league and is one of the big reasons I had a good year pitching.
“There is an awful lot of character on this team at Prep.”
Jordan played Teener League baseball at West Scranton and American Legion baseball for Dickson City. “I had great experiences,” he said.
Jordan said he likes listening to music in his spare time and particularly enjoys Mumford and Sons.
He talked about his future goals. “I want to go into the field of law and become a state policeman or attorney. I would like to coach baseball someday. I am a huge baseball fan.”
And he has much gratitude for his parents.
“My parents always told me everyone is good at something. You just have to find out what you are good at. They tell me to take advantage of what comes your way in life every single day. And always try to help people. Help them anyway you can.
“My parents helped me a lot after I had my knee surgery in my junior year. I only pitched two games that year prior to the injury, but was able to come back full strength this year. I have to thank my parents a lot for that. They gave me a lot of strength and support.”
Ron and Marilyn Carlonas, Green Ridge, are two of his biggest boosters. “He is just a great kid,” Marilyn Carlonas said.
The scholar-athlete received a B.S. in business from Marywood in 2016. He finished with a 3.4 grade point average. The stalwart infielder decided to play as a graduate student for Marywood this season after he learned he had one year of eligibility left. “It was an easy decision,” he said. “I applied for the waiver this past summer when I decided to go to graduate school at Marywood. I went for the red shirt and was declared eligible.”