JACK REINHEIMER TO CARRY HIS BAT AND GLOVE TO EAST CAROLINA NEXT SEASON

Seventeen year old rising Ardrey Kell High School senior Jack Reinheimer has chosen The East Carolina Pirates as his home for college baseball.  After a busy spring and summer of baseball, the talented shortstop chose to jump aboard the Pirates Ship and help them continue their pursuit of a place in the College World Series.  The son of Bonnie Dann and Paul Reinheimer has played a key role in helping Ardrey Kell advance to the North Carolina 4A State Championship Series two years in a row.

Jack enjoyed the recruiting process and describes his interaction with East Carolina below.
  
“For me, I felt it was a long recruiting process.  I was interested in many schools and I wanted to visit all of them and get a good feel for each one.  I first heard from ECU last February, right before the spring season began.  I went on my first unofficial visit in May to meet with the coaches and to see a game.  The atmosphere was unbelievable.  I made a second visit on July 18 and that is when I received the offer.  Even though I have committed, I haven't truly been on an official visit.”

Jack had many colleges chasing his services and he chose East Carolina over NC State, High Point, Coastal Carolina, UNC Wilmington, Virginia Tech. and UNC Charlotte.”

 “One of the things I love about ECU baseball is the huge fan support.  There is an area behind the outfield called "The Jungle" where people tailgate, watch the game and heckle the opposing outfielders, etc. It makes for a great baseball atmosphere.  Everyone just really gets into the game.  The stadium is beautiful and pretty much contains anything a player could ask for.”

With the college decision behind Jack he can now focus on a successful senior season for The Knights.

“My goals for my senior season, in addition to working hard and having fun, are to focus on getting back to the state championship.”

After the runner-up finish his sophomore season, Jack helped  lead The Knights to a 2 game series sweep in this year’s championship.    Late in the playoff drive, Ardrey Kell lost two key players to injuries, Alex Wood and Logan Ratledge, but Jack and others never looked down and rallied the team to the title.

 Ardrey Kell Head Baseball Coach recognized Jack’s important role in helping the team win the state championship.

“Jack is one of the finest student-athletes that I've ever coached. He represents our baseball program with class, grace, and humility. Jack started in our program as a freshman and to this day I've never seen anyone out work him. It is a pleasure to coach him and I think the world of him! He is a special talent as well....one of the key pieces of the puzzle during our state championship run. He has the skill set to be an outstanding college player and beyond. The future is extremely bright!”

Jack took the time to thank a few people that have helped him reach this point.

“I would like to thank Coach Bagwell for the tremendous help he gave me throughout the process and having faith in me and pushing me to become a better player and a better person, as well as the rest of the Ardrey Kell staff.  There were so many people at On Deck Baseball that have helped me over the years, but I especially want to thank Coach Jason Hill for being so supportive and helpful throughout this process and providing me the opportunity to play with them for more than five years.  Lastly, I would like to thank my parents and family for supporting me all these years and for always being there.  Many sacrifices have been made for me.”

With school set to start in less than two weeks, the hard work now begins.  Every baseball team in the state will set their aim on dethroning the Knights, while Jack and his teammates work to keep that from happening.   The year will certainly bring plenty of excitement for all.

The South Charlotte Sports Report sends out our congratulations to Jack Reinheimer on his baseball commitment to East Carolina University.   Lots of blood, sweat and tears have gone into creating this opportunity and we salute Jack for his dedication to achieving his dream.