Jonathan Lynch making move to professional softball

~ The Notre DAME graduate and All-World honoree is playing at the Kelso Klassic this weekend

Jonathan Lynch never thought he would be playing fastpitch softball at the level he is now.

A 2012 graduate of Notre Dame and member of the Bulldogs baseball team for four years, Lynch has become one of the best fastpitch softball players in the world.

"Both games are very similar and I enjoy playing both of them," Lynch said about the transition from baseball to fastpitch. "It was easy for me to jump right in to fastpitch. I found it to be kind of a way to get ready for the next baseball season. I could stay active in basically the same sport."

Lynch found softball through his father, Paul Lynch, who has played for various local teams around the Southeast Missouri area for more than 20 years.

"He's the one that really got me in to it," Lynch said. "I would follow him to games as a little kid, and I just loved it."

Lynch started playing for his first competitive men's fastpitch team, Kelso Fastpitch, in 2012. He always had played baseball but needed something to keep him in shape during summers as he prepared to play at the collegiate level at Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas.

"There are some similarities between the two sports, but then there are those differences too," Lynch said. "Adjusting to the high and low pitches as well as the distances between the mound and home plate were some things I had to get used to."

Lynch studied film of his at-bats and made small adjustments game after game until he got his timing right, a move that has proven to pay off.

Last year Lynch, an outfielder, made his first Kelso Klassic appearance a memorable one. He batted .667 (8 for 12) with two triples, a double, four RBIs and three stolen bases and was named the Kelso Klassic MVP.

"He had a great tournament for us," Kelso Fastpitch coach Jerry Wolsey said. "He's a great player and he's doing great things against some of the top pitchers in the nation."

Lynch again is playing for Kelso Fastpitch this weekend in the 30th annual Kelso Klassic, a 14-team tournament that takes place each year on the first weekend in June.

Lynch's play is recognized well beyond Southeast Missouri. He was selected as a member of the 2012 USA Softball Junior Men's National Team and was named a North American Fastpitch Association A-Major All-World Performer in 2012 and 2013. A-Major is the second-highest division in NAFA.

"It was an amazing unbelieveable experience to play with so many great athletes," Lynch said. "I was just fortunate to play well and get such high honors."

At the highest level, which is the International Softball Congress, Lynch made the ISC All-World Team playing for the Bloomington Stix.

Lynch and the Stix placed sixth in the 2013 ISC World Tournament.

"I was fortunate to play with that team," Lynch said. "They're basically a pro team and have taught me a lot about fastpitch."

Lynch said his time playing for Bloomington is what he believes got him a spot on his first professional men's fastpitch team.

After his sophomore season at Lyon College ended in May, Lynch thought he would go back to playing for the Stix. However, he was surprised to get a call from the New York Swashbucklers, a professional men's fastpitch softball team based in Staten Island, New York, that plays in tournaments all over the country.

Lynch said the idea of playing softball professionally was a little shocking at first, but he is humbled by the opportunity.

"I didn't think something like this would ever be possible," Lynch said. "I'm just fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play somewhere and the fact that it's for a pro team should make for a great experience."

Lynch and the Swashbucklers began practices at the end of May and will be playing in their first of seven tournaments at the end of this month. Lynch plans to remain a part of the Swashbucklers for many summers to come, while his days as a collegiate baseball player are over.

Lynch is transferring from Lyon College, where he play outfield and pitched in relief, to the University of Missouri, where he will be a student assistant for the women's softball program.

Missouri has one of the best softball programs in the NCAA. The Tigers finished the season ranked No. 15 in the nation and have been ranked in the top 25 for five consecutive seasons.

Lynch also shares an accomplishment with Missouri softball coach Ehren Earleywine, who is a former All-World player. Earleywine won the honor in 1999 as a member of the Decatur Pride and also was a member of the Pride when they won the ISC World Championship in 2001.

Lynch said softball is definitely in his future. He is pursuing a degree in physical therapy but one day hopes to coach his own softball team and teach the game to young athletes.

"I want to be a part of the game for as long as I can," Lynch said. "I really enjoy it and would like to keep playing and coaching."