The Arlington Senior Babe Ruth 15-under all-stars won a district tournament baseball championship this summer, followed by finishing third in the state, and as a result earned a berth to play in the Southeast Region competition.
Those all-stars are managed by Josh Jones, who has a strong connection to the team. Just seven years ago, Jones was a player for the 15 all-stars that won a state title and qualified for regionals.
Jones later played baseball in high school at Yorktown, then in college at James Madison University for the club team. Jones then managed the club squad for a year until he graduated this past May.
After that, Jones wanted to remain active in the sport, so he agreed to spend this summer managing the 15-under all-stars.
Jones is continuing a strong and long legacy in which former Arlington Senior Babe Ruth all-star players, or local Arlington high-school players, later return to coach some of the Arlington Senior Babe Ruth summer teams at various age groups, many for the all-stars. The list is long.
Former all-stars Jordan Bussie and Ben Langsam are assistant coaches on the 15-under team with Jones.
Jones and Langsam are Yorktown graduates, and Bussie from Wakefield High. Langsam previously coached a spring Arlington Senior Babe Ruth regular-season team. Bussie is a current player for the JMU club team.
Ben Koomey is another coach for the 15-under all-stars, and a Yorktown graduate. He also played Arlington Senior Babe Ruth baseball. Yorktown grad and current Duke University baseball standout pitcher James Tallon played in the organization, as well. He has been a guest coach for the 15-under all-stars this summer.
“The college-age coaches really relate well to the players. Baseball is supposed to be about having fun, and these players and coaches are having a blast,” said Tim Mellet, a parent of a current 15-under all-star.
Said Jones: “We love playing baseball. But we also want to help these players take their next steps into college, if that is part of their plan. And maybe continue playing baseball if they want to, at some level. But the best part of this team is the camaraderie. We are making memories. Someone did that for each of us, and now it’s our turn to pay it back.”
