Kingsway Grad Ward Staying Busy This Summer On The Baseball Diamond

It was quite a baseball career for recent Kingsway graduate AJ Ward, who was a big part of one of the best seasons in school history. The Dragons won the South Jersey Group 4 championship, earned a berth in the state final before losing a 7-6 decision to Ridgewood.

It was Kingsway’s first sectional championship since winning the SJ Group 2 title in 1992.

“You can never forget a season like that,” said Ward, who is playing on two teams this summer and will take his talents to national junior college power Rowan College of South Jersey (Gloucester). “It was so much fun, especially the team we did it with was a blast.”

Ward, who was a key figure on both sides of the ball as the Dragons, catcher, also had a big offensive season.

He batted .393 with 35 RBIs.

Ward said the team had confidence as the Dragons gathered for preseason practice in early March.

“Going into the season we knew we had what it takes,” Ward said.

Ward has enjoyed a steady diet of baseball this summer, competing for two teams. He is a member of Mullica Hill of the Camden Couty Senior American Legion League. (The Camden County League does include teams from other counties such as Mullica Hill of Gloucester County).

In addition, Ward is competing for the Washington Township Senators of the Tri-County men’s league. It’s a league that uses wooden bats, another adjustment.

The adjustment to the men’s league has been challenging but that was the idea of joining. Ward wanted to challenge himself.

“It’s hard, especially after a long high school season,” he said. “Plus getting used to the wooden bats right way was tricky.”

This past season RCSJ Gloucester advanced to the Division III (non-scholarship) World Series after winning the national championship the previous three seasons. There is a lot of competition just to get on the field for this perennial powerhouse.

Ward does feel that he will greatly benefit when he begins college baseball from playing in two leagues this summer. The fall ball program at RCSJ Gloucester will likely begin about a month after his summer seasons have concluded

“As soon as the seasons end this summer, I will probably only have about a few weeks off, but then I am going right back in the game, so it’s like I won’t really lose that much and I won’t be going a long time without seeing pitching,” he said.

Ward is versatile enough to be able to play other positions, although he has hung his hat as a catcher.

“I have told coach (Rob Valli) I could be a utility player or whatever, we will see how I goes,” Ward said. “But I am definitely starting off catching.”

And he is looking forward to hitting as well, especially since he should be well prepared for the fall season after getting so many valuable at-bats this summer.