A White Hall senior will be staying in the state to continue his baseball career.
Jace Johnson signed with Arkansas Baptist College on Thursday in the White Hall High School library.
Johnson said the moment was eye-opening for him.
“I always wanted this,” Johnson said. “After talking to Coach Stargell, he’s giving me the best opportunity I can. Let me know if I do everything that’s right, keep up what I’m doing, keep up the hard work, it’s all gonna pay off.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Johnson expects to play second and third base for the Little Rock-based Buffaloes, which play in the NAIA’s Continental Athletic Conference.
The White Hall baseball team joined Johnson’s family in attending the afterschool signing before heading to the weight room as they continue to prepare for the upcoming 2025 season.
White Hall coach Ryan Bridges spoke briefly about Johnson, saying he often found Johnson at the baseball field practicing on his own time.
“He’s a great baseball player, but he works hard on top of that,” Bridges said. “He’s always at the field working. He’s getting extra swings in, taking ground balls. He’s always, ‘Coach, what did I do? What did I do wrong? What can I fix? What can I work on?’ He always wants to get better, so he never stops. He gets mad when he’s not perfect, which, that’s hard to be.”
Arkansas Baptist coach Sebastian Stargell was also present and spoke to the attendees about work ethic and the types of opportunities college baseball can present.
Stargell told White Hall’s players he recruits athletes from across southeast Arkansas and said he will be back to White Hall looking for more Bulldogs to sign to his team. He also mentioned some players he has sent to professional baseball in the past and said five MLB scouts attended Baptist’s last pro day.
He said every player he signs will have a chance to play provided they handle their business in practice and in the classroom.
Johnson said he has heard some of Stargell’s speeches before and it is one of the things he likes about his future coach.
“Every time I’m around, he got a speech to tell me,” Johnson said. “He got something to tell me, and that’s what I like about him. He’ll sit there and talk your head off and give you the best speech there is to help you out. He’s a really good guy.”
Johnson said he understands the importance of getting a degree while he is in college, but he also believes playing for Stargell will give him a chance to play professional baseball in the future.