Druw Jones, Bryce Hubbard get Wesleyan back on track against Greater Atlanta Christian

By David Friedlander | Photos by Jamie Spaar

PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. — After getting off to a decidedly slow start to the 2022 high school baseball season on Tuesday, Wesleyan made sure that would not be the case for its home opener Friday afternoon.

Taking a lead from their most decorated star, Druw Jones, the Wolves jumped on visiting Greater Atlanta Christian for seven runs in the first two innings en route to a 10-5 win at cold and breezy Donn Gaebelein Field.

“We opened up Tuesday against Lovett, and we were a little tight and we didn't execute our game plan very well,” said Wesleyan coach Brian Krehmeyer after his team evened its season record at 1-1. “But the game of baseball is different from football in that you don't have to wait a week to play again. So we had a good two days of practice and kind of reset ourselves.

“We were able to come back out in an environment we're much more comfortable with against a rival, a really good team, and we knew it was going to be a good test. … They looked a lot different (Friday).”

The Wolves looked more like the team that finished as Class A Private runner-up last season, and Jones, the son of former Atlanta Braves star Andruw Jones, was a major catalyst.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound senior outfielder demonstrated why he is considered one of the top prospects in this June's Major League Baseball draft by slugging two home runs and finishing the day 3-for-4 with three RBIs, a stolen base and three runs scored.

Jones (1-0) also debuted what will be a larger role for him this spring by getting the start on the mound, and set the tone by setting down GAC (1-1) in order in the top of the first, on his way to allowing just one hit and one earned run with three strikeouts over his three-inning outing.

Then in the top of the first, he was a table setter again, taking a pitch by Spartans starter Conrad Cason (0-1) on the outside corner to the opposite field for a single to right, and then stealing second to get into scoring position.

“We had a tough loss in the first game (to Lovett),” said Jones, rated by mlb.com as the No. 1 prospect in the June draft. “Things happen. We didn't have our best game, (but) we came out (Friday) and made sure we worked hard at the plate, had good at-bats, good all around on the defensive end, good pitching. So it's always great to get a good win at home.

Jones eventually came home when Mississippi State-bound catcher Bryce Hubbard lofted a two-run homer to right, and Wesleyan added another run when Nate Kerpics beat the shift with a single in the hole between first and second to take a 3-0 lead after one.

The Wolves were at it again in the bottom of the second when Dom Scalese led off by pounding a solo homer to left, and Reed Purcell battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk and bring Jones back to the plate.

After letting a fastball down the middle go by, the Vanderbilt signee jumped all over a hanging breaking pitch to launch a towering two-run homer to left-center to push the lead to 6-0.

Wesleyan added another run off an error to lead 7-0 before GAC began to battle back in the third by parlaying Camden Helms' leadoff single and two wild pitches from Jones into a run to make the score 7-1.

The Spartans continued their comeback attempt against the Wesleyan bullpen over the next two innings, with Helms delivering a clutch two-run single in the fourth and Graham Stogner adding a two-out RBI of his own with his fifth-inning double to pull GAC to within 7-4.

But Jones helped restore order for Wesleyan in the bottom of the fifth by blasting another homer, this one a solo shot to straightaway center to ignite a three-run rally that included Forrest Lietz's RBI double, which pushed the lead back to 10-4.

The Spartans added a run on an Aaron Hobson single, two wild pitches and a balk in the top of the seventh, but Scalese settled down to retire GAC without further damage to close out the Wesleyan win.

Hubbard joined Jones with a 3-for-4 night at the plate, including his homer and a double, while Helms led GAC by going 2-for-3 with this two RBIs.