Battle Creek Central brother/sister twins share their love for the diamond
BATTLE CREEK - They are twins with a lot in common.
They both love throwing, hitting the ball. Love pitching, most of all. They go to the same school.
But, they aren't on the same team (although at one point they were, but more on that later).
Kaylynn Jones (older by a few minutes) and Caleb Jones are twins and seniors at Battle Creek Central. Kaylynn is the No. 1 pitcher for the Bearcat softball team. Caleb is the leading pitcher and starting outfielder for the Bearcat baseball team.
Getting to share a birthday (they both turned 18 just last week) and a love for sports is something they get to share on and off the diamond.
"Both of us playing, it's something we have in common. That's what's great about all of this," Caleb said. "I have someone I can talk to about baseball and she has someone she can talk to about softball. Some of the people we hang out with don't know much about the sport, but we can talk baseball together and that makes it great. I have her and she has me."
Kaylynn joined the softball team because she saw her brother playing baseball.
"I saw him playing and I wanted to be out there, too. I thought, I want to do that," Kaylynn said.
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Now on different teams, of course, there was a world where they did play sports together, despite being brother and sister, and thought they still might be to this day.
Both were on the Battle Creek Central middle school football team as teammates, as Kaylynn didn't let her being a girl stop her from participating. And, in 10th grade both thought they might reprise that situation.
"We didn't start really playing baseball until our sophomore year," Caleb said. "At that time, we didn't even know if Battle Creek was even going to have a softball team that year, so I was trying to get her to join the baseball team. And she would've, too, if she didn't join the softball team."
"That's how I got interested in it. Went to a couple of these baseball camps we had here with the boys. Playing with the boys and my brother made me more competitive, I think. So I learned a lot early," Kaylynn said.
Now that they are both starters and senior leaders on rebuilding Bearcat programs, each are having a great time during their final campaign in high school sports.
"Kaylynn embodies what a student-athlete should be by demonstrating excellence on and off the field. She maintains her grades, she leads with positivity and encouragement, she carries the team with her pitching, stamina, and knowledge of the game and she eagerly helps the community and Battle Creek Public Schools with her philanthropy efforts," said BCC softball coach Ciara Wilson-Santos. "Kaylynn will do great things in the future and I’m so excited for her to achieve her goals and continue bettering this world we live in."
Not surprisingly, her twin brother brings the same kind of energy to the field for his baseball team.
"Caleb is an all-around leader. He is a leader in the classroom and a leader on the baseball field. Caleb started playing baseball as a sophomore and since then he has worked on his game every day of the season and offseason. Caleb motivates by showing his skills on the field as well as by verbally getting on to his teammates," said BCC baseball coach Jordan Lawson.
The family dynamic is what has made this final year special for the Jones twins.
"It's been great to do this together. It's something we share here on the field and at the dinner table," Caleb said. "We have dad, at dinner, talking about how proud he is of us. Mom is listening to our stories about our games. We don't get to see each other play much, because we usually have games at the same time, so we are always talking about how our games went with each other, how we did, what we could've done different.
"And, you know, there's a little competition between us, too. It's like, how many hits did you get today? I got two. How many did you get? Stuff like that."
Hitting is one thing. Pitching is another.
Each share that same position.
"I love pitching. Just having the ball in my hands. Being in the center of it. That's great," Kaylynn said.
"Pitching is great," Caleb added. "I wish I would've started to learn more about it earlier. I am coming around, but I could be much better if I had started earlier."
Both have different feelings about how the year will finish up for them.
For Caleb, he hopes it is just the beginning. He wants to play baseball beyond high school. He has plans to go to Kellogg Community College. Kaylynn doesn't see softball as something she will do in college, but would like to coach one day. She will attend the University of Michigan-Dearborn to study neuroscience. Both will be going to college with the help of the Bearcat Advantage - which is a financial aid package for the district.
But how that future comes around (in baseball and in life) has a lot to do with their positive experiences at Battle Creek Central.
"My mindset is baseball. Baseball could be a future for me. A way out," Caleb said. "I just love it. When I first came out for the team, I stepped in and took a swing and kind of accidently hit the ball. I remember it so clearly. The color of the bat, the ball, how I swung and fouled it high in the air. And, even though it wasn't a good hit, I just fell in love with the sport right there. I want to be a part of it going forward."
Kaylynn added, "What I love most about how the program has come around and how I have gotten to be a part of it. We have a new coach this year and she is making things better, a better atmosphere. I just wish it was like this when I was younger. But I just look at the younger kids and say, you guys are lucky, you guys got this. Things are going to be better around here soon."
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter @billbroderick.
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: BC Central brother/sister twins share their love for the diamond
