Mystery surrounds the untimely passing of a beloved University of Kentucky double-sport athlete who died at 22 years old.
Ben Jordan played for both UK basketball and baseball teams and was an outstanding member even before that during his years at West Carter High School.
“Like so many others in the state of Kentucky, basketball has been a part of my life since I was just a kid,” Jordan said when he joined the UK basketball team last season.
“When the opportunity presented itself to join the UK basketball team, I wanted to go into it with an open mind, especially since I stepped away from the sport to focus on baseball.”
He added: “Baseball has been and will remain my top priority, but I’m excited about the opportunity and the challenge of competing in two sports I love to play. I’m looking forward to helping in practice and being a great teammate this season.”
The 6-foot-9 served as an extra body in practice for Coach John Calipari who said that having Jordan in 2019-2020 was great while the team lacked big men.
Jordan played for the Wildcats during that same season and appeared in two games.
“It is difficult for me to express and to put into words what a tragedy it is to lose a young person too early,” Calipari said. “Ben impacted our team last season in so many ways with his kind heart, his big smile, and his wonderful personality.”
For the UK baseball team, Jordan participated in ten games pitching 8.2 innings and closing out the 2019 season with a scoreless inning against the nationally-ranked Vanderbilt.
“There are no words to express the shock and heartache our team is feeling with the loss of Ben,” UK Baseball Coach Nick Mingione said.
“He was an absolute joy to coach and be around. His smile, sense of humor, and love for this university will never be forgotten. He will be missed beyond measure.”
