Oxford Charger’s Baseball Jersey Honors Former Coach

As Oxford Charger, Rowan Gordon took to the baseball field for the season-opening jamboree, the No. 20 on his chest was more than just an assigned jersey.

As a sophomore, Gordon was allowed to select the number he wanted to wear on the Charger baseball team this year. Without hesitation, Gordon selected his jersey to honor the late Jason Farese, who wore No. 20 when he played baseball at Vanderbilt from 1994 to 1997.

Farese was Gordon’s coach on the Yalobusha Giants team since he was 6 years old. 

In 2016, the Oxford community mourned the loss of Dr. Jason Farese and his wife Dr. Lea Farese along with four other community members after a plane crash took their lives.

“He was like a second dad to me,” Gordon said. “He was my first good coach when I was little and he gave me a chance on his travel baseball team.”

“Since Jason passed away, Rowan has always carried a good luck charm in his pocket at baseball games – a poker chip – because Farese taught him how to play poker,” said Gordon’s mother, Courtney Gordon.

But this year, Gordon will be wearing his good luck charm on his back, and on his glove, he has the date of Farese’s death.

Gordon plays third base and catcher on the 2022 varsity baseball team for Oxford High School.

Courtesy of the OSD