HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Jaybriel Jordan is 14 years old, stands 6 feet tall, weighs 170 pounds, and hits a baseball like someone much older.
He just finished eighth grade and spent the last couple of years playing in the Hagerstown Pony League, part of an international youth sports organization with baseball leagues for various age groups.
He was the only player in the league to use a wooden bat — something uncommon even among high school and college hitters because it is considered harder to hit with. That has not slowed him down. He routinely blasts baseballs more than 400 feet, sometimes reaching the houses beyond the outfield fence.
WATCH: Hagerstown teen hits a grand slam for mom
Next, he will take that swing to Saint James School, where he will begin his high school baseball career.
"It was good because you might as well get used to it because if you want to play baseball for a long time, pretty much what you do here," Jaybriel said.
Athletic excellence runs in the Jordan family. His older brother, Boo, played Division I college football at Davidson. His mother, Jennifer, was a former track star and Maryland State volleyball champion at Clear Spring High School in 1993.
"It was kind of the expectation because everybody in my family has played sports. Sometimes before games I have to remind myself you got this. Don't worry about it you're a Jordan," Jaybriel said.
Jennifer is a constant presence at her son's games and practices.
"It's just a really great feeling as a parent when your kid does really well. It makes you feel good and you know that they feel good so that's what makes you feel so good," Jennifer said.
"I go to every game. There's been a few times where I've had to arrive a little late, but I've always made it to every game," she said.
"It makes me feel comfortable, like I have somebody here," Jaybriel said.
A health scare
Earlier this year, Jennifer felt pain on her right side into her back. One day in March, without feeling sick, she nearly passed out and decided to get checked out.
"My white cell count was very, very high and I don't have a spleen so that is always a really huge concern. The ER doctor was throwing words around like blood cancer and things like that," Jennifer said.
"During the course of all the testing they found something on my right ovary. They weren't sure exactly what it was," she said.
"Was there a tumor that could be producing... that my hormone levels to be abnormal," she said. "He was hopeful that things were benign but the ultimate decision was that I should have them removed."
Jennifer has not had a spleen since November 2009, when she suffered a spontaneous spleen rupture that caused tremendous pain and required emergency surgery — while she was pregnant with her daughter Jaylee.
"Our daughter survived the first surgery. She did not survive two days after that. She did not have a heartbeat. I think of her every day. You know, Jaybriel wouldn't exist had Jaylee survived. She would have been my last baby and so when I look at Jaybriel obviously he's my rainbow baby and he's special because I never would have met him," Jennifer said.
Ahead of her surgery to remove her ovaries, Jennifer continued to deal with recurring pain that woke her up at night, as well as a UTI and kidney infections. The uncertainty weighed heavily on Jaybriel.
"I was just sad because thinking that the woman that raised me might not be here. It really took something out of me. And I've never said I'm depressed but I was getting to a point, like I was terrified," Jaybriel said.
The grand slam
Jennifer underwent surgery to remove her ovaries on May 28. Three days later, still recovering, she powered through to attend her son Javon's graduation. After that, she had to go home before Jaybriel's Pony League game that afternoon.
"It kind of hurt me because if I do something great I want her to be there. I want her to witness her son being great," Jaybriel said.
In the sixth inning, Jaybriel stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. His dad was recording, as usual. On the first pitch, Jaybriel hit a grand slam.
"I'm like ok I just hit a grand slam, I just hit a bomb. Now it's dedicated to my mom. Nothing else matters but that. I saw that he was still recording, which he always records me coming to the dugout. I was like you know I'm going to try to make my mom happy. This was about nobody else except my mom," Jaybriel said.
Jennifer watched the video from home after her husband sent it to her.
"I was so happy for him but it made me cry because I missed it. It meant everything to me that he thought about me," Jennifer said.
"I just felt myself again. I felt happy, which I'm always happy playing baseball but there was something missing in me that day but I just felt relieved," Jaybriel said.
Good news
A couple of days after the game, Jennifer learned that the masses on her ovaries were benign and she did not have cancer. A couple of days after that, she was back watching Jaybriel play.
"I feel like a whole new woman not having that pain all the time. I want to be here to see my kids grow. I want to be here for my grand kids. It was a great moment," Jennifer said.
"I was back to myself, my peace was back. I'm the happiest person alive. I really am. I have everything," Jaybriel said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.