IRONTON - Jon Wylie is helping rejuvenate baseball in Ironton.

“Baseball hasn’t really been a big thing here, but our first state championship ever was in baseball,” explained Wylie.

That was 1972 when two players were drafted from a squad that defeated Solon 3-2 in the Class AA state championship game.

“Since then we haven’t had a Division I baseball player come out of Ironton,” Wylie added.

Until now.

A commitment to Xavier has ended the drought and Wylie, the fifth-ranked 2024 right-handed pitcher in Ohio, is excited about it.

“It’s always been a dream of mine since I was a little kid growing up in southern Ohio,” Wyle said. “Not many that come out of here play Division I baseball but it started getting serious for me during travel ball season when I received my first offer from Marshall.”

Other schools also had an interest, including Xavier.

“In February of my sophomore year I went to a prospect camp there and I threw pretty well,” Wylie reflected. “I was offered the next day. They came to my high school games and every travel game but at the end of travel season I had an injury.”

His recruitment then hit a roadblock to some degree.

“I wanted to visit all the schools that had offered, but some of the schools didn’t even answer calls after the injury,” the Ironton junior noted. “The idea was to play in the Future Games but since I had a little forearm injury I couldn’t go down there.”

But through it all, Xavier stayed on board with the 113th-rated junior right-handed pitcher in the nation, who also was offered by Wright State and had interest from Ohio State before choosing his college destination.

“Coach O’Connor was always there to make me feel wanted,” Wylie pointed out about Xavier head coach Billy O’Connor, who led the Musketeers to 33 wins this past season, third most in school history. “They still were contacting me every day.”

Interest from the Big East Conference program in the 6-21/2 170-pounder never diminished.

“They really like how I’m a competitor on the mound,” the 10th-ranked 2024 in the state said. “When I’m on the mound I bring a different kind of electric vibe. They really like that.

“They like all my pitches, my velo and how I kept consistent velo all the way through tournaments,” Wylie continued. “I still have a lot of room to grow, but with what I’m doing in the weight room I’m getting ready.”

It all has happened after a bit of a late start to the recruiting process.

“I wasn’t really introduced to travel ball or PBR until I was 14,” Wylie related. “I started playing with Ohio Elite and then went to my first showcase for baseball. We were playing in Middletown in a summer classic at VA Stadium (in Chillicothe) and I had a good outing. After that all the calls started. PBR really helped a  lot with my recruiting.”

To be committed brought relief to the 328th-rated 2024 in the country and his family.

“It was an amazing feeling that my dream since I was a little kid had come true,” Wylie said. “I talked with my parents about it every single day and my dad helped with a lot of the stuff. It was a great moment in the Wylie household. It’s a dream come true, but I’m not done yet.”

The 17-year-old believes he can be a major asset at Xavier.

“I’ll bring a lot of intensity and leadership,” Wylie explained. “It will be a whole different vibe. On the mound I’m a different animal. I don’t back down from anything. From all of that, I think I will be good for Xavier baseball.”

A 3.75 student at Ironton, business finance will be the college major for Wylie.

“I’m looking forward to getting there and being with a different group of guys,” Wylie concluded. “I love meeting new people and competing with them. But mainly I’m looking forward to developing to get to the next level after that.”