Nansemond River senior catcher Tyler Jordan signed to play baseball for Louisburg College at a ceremony on Tuesday at Nansemond River High School.

Jordan was glad that to have finally reached this collegiate decision.

“It was a big process trying to go through finding which college would fit me the best,” he said.

He gave some insight into that process as it ran from last summer into the fall.

“I went through a lot of camps, visiting a lot of different schools, seeing which one I thought I would fit in and which one was right for me and my family, and I chose Louisburg,” he said.

Louisburg is a private, accredited two-year residential college located in the North Carolina town by the same name. The location and the program were the big draws for Jordan.

“I liked being close to my family, being home, and then being able to come home whenever I can,” he said. “And then I liked the school as far as baseball. They’ve pretty much got good baseball players.”

Jordan transferred to Nansemond River and has played for the Warriors since his junior year, during which time NR head coach Mark Stuffel has had time to observe his ability.

“He’s a solid catcher and he hits the ball well,” Stuffel said. “He was pretty good last year.”

Stuffel noted that Jordan did not get to shine as much then, because he was playing behind senior Zach Vann, who had a fantastic final year.

“Tyler’s pretty much waiting his turn,” Stuffel said. “It’s his turn. I think he’s going to have a great year.”

Even while waiting, Jordan drew interest from several smaller schools, but he ultimately wants to go to a bigger school. Institutions like Louisburg can serve as stepping stones to four-year colleges.

“Louisburg is a great baseball school,” Stuffel said. “If he does well there, he could move on to anywhere.”

Jordan’s pleased parents, Dondi Jordan and Loriann Lewis, were also on hand for the ceremony. Tyler began playing baseball at the age of 3 in Hampton, and Dondi Jordan reflected on a journey full of late nights, overnight driving to and from games, a lot of camps and a lot of baseball. He took none of the credit, however, for his son’s baseball ability, saying, “It was all him.”

“When he was playing baseball as a Little Leaguer, I recognized things that he was doing that I didn’t teach him,” Dondi Jordan said. “That told me he was a natural at the game. And then he got the discipline to play the game. It takes a special kid to play baseball, because you’ve got to be patient, and he’s shown dedication to the game, so we supported that.”

Both parents said that more than anything else, they wanted their son’s future to include a college diploma.

“Yeah, that’s my hope, a degree,” Lewis said.

“Baseball’s just a vehicle to get that done,” Dondi Jordan added.

Tyler Jordan shared his academic plan for the college level.

“I’m going to do general studies, and then when I transfer to a four-year school, I would like to major in kinesiology,” he said.