By Chris Valentine

Toledo St. John?s junior Jesse Adams has emerged as one of the top two-way players in Ohio?s Class of 2012, and his recent success has helped the Titans to a 16-3 record and the #1 seed in their district tournament.

The left-handed throwing and left-handed hitting standout patrols centerfield for the Titans. With the season nearly complete, Adams has put together an impressive year batting .555 with 4 homeruns and 14 stolen bases.

On the mound, Adams isn?t your pro-typical power pitcher as he stands six feet tall and weighs around 165 pounds. But, the Toledo southpaw, who has a low to mid 80?s fastball and an impressive curveball, understands the importance of hitting spots and setting up hitters. On the season, Adams has compiled an 8-0 record with an impressive 1.04 ERA and 53 strikeouts.

When asked about his progress from his freshman season to his junior season, Adams notes, ?I would have to say the number one thing that has helped my game would be that I continue to challenge myself and play at the top competition possible.  I have also matured as a player, both physically and mentally.?

A part of that growth occurred this past summer when Adams played for the nationally recognized Midland Baseball program out of Cincinnati. The experience allowed him to focus his entire summer on baseball and the development of his skills. Consequently, he says, ?Midland taught me to play the game at a higher level than ever before.?

Looking ahead to the summer, Adams will be playing for the Baseball U Prospect Team out of New Jersey. The team will be traveling along the east coast and playing at events at the University of Virginia, University of North Carolina, and Wake Forest as well as Perfect Game?s WWBA in Marietta, Georgia.

With the recruitment process well under way, Adams does not have a clear favorite destination, nor future position at the next level. However, he isn?t shy when expressing his desire to play at ?high-caliber baseball at a strong academic school.? Recently, he attended a junior-day at the University of Notre Dame. Others schools expressing interest include Wake Forest, Winthrop, and The Ohio State University.