Kentucky baseball player Ben Jordan, who walked on to the basketball team last season, has tragically passed away at just age 22.
No cause of death was given.
“Our hearts are broken today,” Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari said in a statement. “We learned early this morning that we have lost Ben Jordan. It is difficult for me to express and to put into words what a tragedy it is to lose a young person too early. Ben impacted our team last season in so many ways with his kind heart, his big smile and his wonderful personality. He cared so deeply about this place and it meant so much to him to be a part of this team.”
A right-handed pitcher, he appeared in 10 games in 2019. The 2019-20 basketball team was facing a shortage of scholarship players, so Jordan stepped in and played three games.
“Ben loved and cherished being a Wildcat,” Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart said in a statement. “He had a servant’s heart and answered the call whenever asked, including putting his promising baseball career on hold to help the basketball team when it needed him. I remember meeting Ben on his official visit to our campus and being so impressed with his passion for this state and the University of Kentucky.”
