BALTIMORE - Ryan Jordan's weekend soccer trip to New Jersey had to be changed.
Instead of venturing to the Garden State, Jordan and his parents got to be on the field at Camden Yards on Saturday night. And for good reason - Jordan was recognized as a regional winner in Major League Baseball's "Pitch, Hit & Run" competition.
Soccer can wait when you're trying to be one of three from your age group chosen from around the country to go to the All-Star Game in three weeks.
Jordan, a 14-year-old Finksburg resident and freshman-to-be at Gerstell Academy, topped two other competitors Saturday morning and earned a spot in the top 30 nationwide. From there, three are picked based on overall scoring and will head to Citi Field for the Midsummer Classic, set for July 16, for the national competition.
Jordan gave himself a chance by performing three challenges - throwing six pitches at a "strike zone" target from 45 feet away; hitting balls off a tee for distance; and being timed on a second-to-home run from 160 feet.
Jordan went first in his age group and said he missed his first attempted strike, then proceeded to hit the target five straight times.
"I was a lot more comfortable than last year," said Jordan, who made it to Camden Yards in 2012 and took third out of three contestants in his age group.
Jordan said the pitching success gave him a boost for the next two skill challenges - Jordan landed a few balls into the outfield, and navigated the base paths at a solid rate. And that helped him beat his two rivals in the 13-14 division, and earn a spot on the field for a pre-game ceremony recognizing the winners of each age group.
Troy and Sandi Jordan, Ryan's parents, watched their son compete from the Camden Yards seats, and after the on-field ceremony they were set to watch a few innings of the Orioles-Yankees game. Mom and Dad beamed with pride at their youngest of five children, and most athletic, said Troy Jordan.
The Jordans altered their weekend trip and said they were leaving for New Jersey late Saturday night. That meant missing one of Ryan's soccer games, but nobody seemed to mind.
Said Troy Jordan: "We weren't going to miss this."
