James Clemens’ Ben Bolden and Jackson Reece Sign To Play College Baseball
MADISON- James Clemens senior baseball players Ben Bolden and Jackson Reece each signed scholarships at a signing ceremony held at the school. Bolden signed with Faulkner University while Reece committed to play for Montevallo.
“I like Faulkner as they gave me a partial athletic ride plus academics mixed in,” said Bolden, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound catcher for the Jets.
“My scholarship was strictly academic as I have a high ACT score and Montevallo has superb athletic facilities with an amazing campus, so I hope to build on to become the player I want to be,” said Reece, a left-handed pitcher.
For Bolden, son of Jason and Miranda Bolden, he played most of his youth baseball in the Athens Recreation Leagues and on travel teams. At age 10 he moved to the position of catcher after the coaches of his youth team needed a change at that important position. “I was the best athlete on the team and we needed a catcher. At first I was a little uncomfortable as I was afraid I would get hit by the bat, but I soon got over that fear and knew catcher was the position I wanted to play as I felt the need to have the ball on every play.”
After attending numerous camps and growing into the catcher position, Bolden is known to have a quick throw of 1.9 seconds compared with the average high school time of 2.2. He’s also extremely flexible which allows him to block pitches and make difficult plays look simple. He added, “I think I handle my game well and can work with pitchers depending on their personality as some I can talk to directly while others I have to baby them.”
The 6-3, 180-pound Reece was 8-3 on the just completed 2019 season and sported a 0.77 ERA for the Jets. He pitched a no-hitter against Class 5A No. 2 Etowah.
“I would say I’m a ‘crafty lefty’ as I throw in the low 80’s with three different fastballs along with a changeup, big curveball and sinker,” said Reece. “I sort of rely on the off-speed pitches that move. My teammates have said I make a lot of batters throw their helmets in disgust.”
Born in Hawaii, as his parents, Tom and Karen Reece, were there due to military assignment, Reece arrived in Madison at age two and soon began his trek through recreation baseball at Palmer Park. He was an All-Star player for many of his years in the leagues playing mostly as a first baseman and outfielder. By the time he made it to middle school his body magically grew about five inches in a quick time span. According to Reece, he was a really bad baseball player and uncoordinated.
His persistence to get better led him to the varsity squad at James Clemens the last two years of his eligibility. Reece also remembers back many years on when he had an inclination he may be able to excel at the sport.
“I remember I used to play catch with my dad in the backyard and I used to hit his mitt exactly where he had set,” said Reece.
Bolden has a 3.3 grade point average and is undecided on his course of study. His young brother, Eli, is a sophomore in the James Clemens baseball program and his freshman sister, Maddie, is a member of the school’s volleyball team. He also has one older sister.
Reece carries a 3.3 grade point average and may enter the studies in film or media. His hobby is to dally in random drawings and said he lets his hand do whatever it wants to do. Reece is also a self-proclaimed classic rock and roll music lover, especially the music of Led Zeppelin.
“I’ve also been a baseball umpire for the 6-8-Under age divisions at Palmer Park,” added Reece. “Brings back a lot of memories as I was in the same exact situations on the same fields when I was their age.”
