"An honor to be around a player like Jack. Players like this don't come around too often. He was one of the original Aviators. He plays the game the right way, never made excuses and was always coachable and looking to improve. Jack worked and continues to work incredibly hard at everything he does. He is a great example to a lot of young players that you don't have to talk a big game to bring one. Even now while preparing himself for winter ball down in Florida, he's grinding it out - working a day job and helping as an assistant coach on our 13u group. Jack Halloran asks for nothing and just puts the work in. I wish him the best of luck and I think if the pro's gives him an opportunity, he will take it and run." - Jason Galbraith
The following story was posted on AxcessBaseball.com on November 19, 2025, written by Vinny Messana.
Growing up and playing on the east end of Long Island can present some inherent obstacles to getting exposure.
Jack Halloran, Westhampton Beach, made it his point to do everything in his power to not only succeed at the college level, but to get a good education.
Halloran, a four-year varsity player, compiled a 1.503 OPS during his seniors season in which he helped lead the Hurricanes to a postseason appearance. During the summer of 2020, during the midst of the pandemic, Halloran was attempting to get himself noticed by college coaches. He sent his videos to dozens and dozens of schools, as there was very little way of getting face-to-face time with college coaches.
One of the schools that was interested was Emory University in Georgia, which was recently named the No. 24 ranked college in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. He chose to attend there.
The decision proved to be a good one, as Halloran set the school’s record for RBIs (170), finished second in HRs (28) and was a three-time All-Region player.
The Eagles captured the 2023 UAA Championship and received an at-large bid in 2025 before ultimately having their season end in the Lynchburg Regional by host University of Lynchburg.
The head coach, Bobby Perez, had the following to say:
“Jack had a great career. He ended up being the school RBI leader, finished second in HRs and was a .361 career hitter. He’s one of the best hitters we’ve ever had come through. As a kid, he was just awesome to coach. He’s a quiet leader, very professional in the way he went about everything. He did everything that was asked of him. I don’t have enough nice things I can say about him. I was the assistant for his first three years and was promoted to head coach for his senior season. Him and that whole group made that transition very easy. He produced – so that makes every coach’s job easier. He set a great example for his teammate.”
Halloran graduated with a finance degree but is still pursuing opportunities to continue his baseball career. He spoke to Axcess Baseball and here’s what he had to say…
How would you describe your time at Emory University? You set some program records and had tremendous success on the field.
My experience at Emory was incredible. I was blessed to play for an amazing coaching staff that cared about the success of their athletes, both on and off the field. Along with that, I had the privilege to take the field every day alongside great teammates, many of whom are my best friends. Being able to cement my name as the career EBI leader is an achievement I am very proud of – one that I hope stands as motivation for our hitters moving forward.
What is the next step for you? Are you focused on continuing your playing career?
I’ll be heading out to Palm Springs in January to compete in the California Winter League. I aim to sign out of there and play ball for either an affiliate or independent club.
Who are some people that have helped you take your game to the next level?
I credit my development to everyone I worked with in Emory athletics. Coach Twardoski spent countless hours helping me become a well-rounded hitter. Even after he retired following my junior year, he would come down to the cages if I ever needed any help. Coach Perez, who is now the head coach, did a great job in strengthening my glove at third. When I moved over to first for my senior year, Coach Trace took the initiative to teach me the footwork and help me become comfortable at the position. Off the field, our strength and conditioning coaches, Drew and Tristan, pushed us to become more versatile athletes. And while their work often goes unnoticed, our athletic trainers Jake and Allison, worked endlessly to keep us healthy and able to stay on the field.
Being from out east, what advice would you give younger player trying to get noticed from smaller towns that might not get the same attention as other big programs?
Part of the process is realizing that you have to be your biggest advocate. When I was in high school, I emailed every coach I could get in contact with. I received a response from maybe ten percent of those coaches, and of that ten percent, most of the responses were along the lines of “our rosters are full.” All it takes is one coach to take a chance on you, and when he does, it’s on you to prove to him that he made the right decision. It’s the harder path to take, but I like to think it makes for a better story.
What are your goals after your playing career?
I think I’ll always be involved in baseball in some capacity. What that will look like after I hang up the cleats, I have no idea. I’m proud to have my finance degree on the back burner for after my playing career, but for now,...
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