Roossien Thrilled To Be Staying Close To Home At Boston College

Jace Roossien C / 1B / Phillips Academy - Andover, MA / 2024

NAHANT, Ma. - The recruiting process went full circle for Jace Roossien and the Phillips Academy-Andover senior is now a Boston College commit.

“They were the first school to talk to me in ninth grade,” related Roossien, who went on to commit to Northwestern before reopening his recruitment this summer.

“I committed to a coach I love and his philosophy about it, so when the news came that he did not have a job I decided to explore my options and see if there was something better out there,” Roossien explained about his decision to decommit. “Nothing against the school and the program, the new coach seems like a great guy.”

There have been a number of coaching changes that have taken place at BC as well, with former Columbia coach Dan Tischler now an assistant at the school.

“Coach Tischler had offered me when he was at Columbia and he asked me if I was interested in BC,” Roossien reflected. “He came to watch me play and I went to a camp there going 3-for-5 with a home run, triple and single. After that they offered and a week later I accepted.

“From the moment I got the offer I knew it was the place I wanted to be,” Roossien added. “I was born and raised in Boston, I have a lot of family and friends here and I’m a diehard Red Sox fan. It made the choice easy.”

Northeastern and Baylor were others that showed interest in the ninth-rated 2024 catcher in New England, who was not stressed out getting back on the recruiting trail.

“It was definitely strange to be thrown back into it,” Roossien admitted. “I played high school and half of summer and played relaxed which upped my performance. I came into just playing baseball and wherever I ended up is where I should be. I just focused on playing hard every day and having fun and that put me where I needed to be.”

Boston College liked what they saw in the 22nd-ranked senior from Massachusetts.

“Most of all they said I’m an athlete that can be a backstop for them, someone that can also play other positions,” the 5-11 173-pounder explained. “But the biggest thing is how athletic of a catcher I am, that’s important to (head) coach (Todd) Interdonato. They also like that I’m a switch-hitter. Coupled with my speed on the base paths, that adds to the athleticism.”

Improvement has been a work in progress for the sixth-rated 2024 catcher in Massachusetts.

“This past year, like anybody, I’ve spent a lot of time hitting and fine-tuning my swing to the point I hit .500 this summer while adding power,” Roossien noted. “I’ve also matured on how to be a catcher, controlling the field and managing the game.”

The 17-year-old, who lives north of Boston just 30 minutes away from BC, believes he will be able to be a major contributor at the Atlantic Coast Conference university.

“I can see coming in working as hard as I possibly can, which is something I’ve always done,” Roossien pointed out. “It’s about working harder than anybody hitting, defensively, lifting and on the mental side. I’m excited for this opportunity to play and make an impact there when I’m young.”

A commitment was a “special feeling” when the time came according to the 47th-ranked senior in New England.

“I have one set of grandparents who live up here and they’re excited to see me play baseball anywhere,” Roossien said. “The support of the entire town was amazing, they’re so excited that I’m staying close to home so they can watch me play. Mahon is a very tight community, it feels like family there.”

Roossien, who carries a 5.0 GPA on a 6.0 scale and is considering a major in business or economics, has high expectations about his future at BC.

“As for baseball, I’m looking forward to the competition,” Roossien concluded. “I want to play at a high level and continue to improve and there’s no better place than playing at BC in the ACC. I’m very excited about that.

“I’m also excited to go to college. I go to a boarding school, so I’ve had a mini-college experience. It has really prepared me for college.”