DAYTON - Even before COVID-19 brought on the cancellation of spring baseball, AJ Solomon was in for a long few months.

A torn meniscus midway through the high school basketball season led to a Jan. 17 surgery that meant an estimated four to six months of rehabilitation.

“I was going to miss the spring season, but was set up well to be back for summer ball,” reflected the Chaminade-Julienne incoming senior. “I did a lot of rehab to get everything around it stronger and was cleared the week before the first tournament of the summer.”

The beginning of June has typically been the time when C-J was gearing up for the state tournament, but no 2020 campaign meant no chance at winning a third consecutive Division II state championship.

For Solomon, it was a time to reflect while attempting to get back to 100 percent healthy.

“I learned a lot about myself during rehab,” explained Solomon, the fourth-rated uncommitted 2021 in Ohio at that point in time. “I learned to persevere and stay positive. I had to work hard to try and get back and make sure I was ready to play by summer so I could show people I can play college baseball.”

Gardner-Webb was one of the schools that had shown an interest in the left-handed hitting second baseman.

“The first time I talked to them was right after the Future Games,” Solomon said in reference to the PBR event last August. “They contacted Cory Valentine (his summer coach) and I contacted them right after. They had a new coach (Jim Chester) and right away he thought I’d be a good fit in the program. I went on a visit in October and they offered.

“It’s a great campus, I loved the players and got along with everybody. They were also just putting down a turf field. It was a great culture, I enjoyed everything about it.”

But there were other colleges under consideration as well including UNC-Charlotte and - closer to home - Miami, Dayton and Cincinnati.

However, knee surgery followed by the coronavirus brought a new outlook to the recruiting process.

“I wasn’t able to take any other visit because of COVID,” Solomon noted.

Gardner-Webb remained loyal throughout the uncertainty brought on by the injury.

“They never wavered on their offer,” the 36th-rated 2021 in the state said. “It was a great opportunity to go there.”

A healthy Solomon eventually made it official with a commitment to play for the Big South Conference school, located in Boiling Springs, N.C., five hours from the Atlantic Ocean.

“I always wanted to play down south,” the top-ranked senior second baseman in Ohio related about deciding factors in the decision. “There’s also the culture that coach Chester is building and I felt I fit right in. He said he thought I could come in and be a leader in 2021 and make an impact right away.”

That is what the 5-9 155-pounder did at Chaminade-Julienne, helping the Eagles to a pair of state crowns, reaching base nine out of 15 plate appearances batting third as a freshman and leadoff as a sophomore.

“The first day I came to practice coach (Mike) Barhorst was very accepting of me as a freshman,” Solomon remembered. “He didn’t care that I was young. He gave me an opportunity and I took advantage of it.”

Solomon looks to do the same thing at Gardner-Webb.

“Thye like that I’m versatile and can play outfield and infield,” Solomon noted. “They like that I can run and I’m an athlete. And I have a good hit tool.”

There is more that Solomon believes he can provide the Gardner-Webb program.

“On the field I play hard, I’m a leader and feel like I’m a winner,” Solomon said. “We won a lot of games in high school and I can bring that winning mentality to the field. Off the field I do things the right way and I’m a friendly person with teammates.”

The just-turned 18-year-old has also made improvements in his game.

“My IQ of the game has gotten better, that’s the biggest thing,” explained Solomon, a 3.6 student considering sport business management as a college major. “My approach to hitting has also gotten better and my arm has gotten stronger.”

A number of individuals have been a big part in helping Solomon get where he is in baseball today.

“My dad has spent a lot of time with me,” Solomon said of his father Anthony, an assistant basketball coach at the University of Dayton. “He challenged me to get better every day I step on the field. My competitiveness I get from my dad.

“Coach Barhorst is another that has been influential along with coach Lance Durham. He’s my hitting coach and he’s helped me with my approach. Also, Cory Valentine with Bo Jackson has been a big help. He gave me a lot of exposure to be seen by a lot of colleges. I played with a lot of other great players and that helped, too. I feel that helped raise my game to go to the next level.”

But the route to college was far from easy dealing with the injury as well as the virus.

“Corona definitely didn’t help the process,” Solomon said. “It was hard to see other campuses and compare. In the end I just felt Gardner-Webb gave me the best opportunity to get better and be the best baseball player I can be.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to move forward and I’m ready to step on campus and make a big impact.”