Duvall, Jason
Jason Duvall
Though commonly remembered for his blazing speed on the sandlots, 1993 Lorain Catholic graduate Jason DuVall was not only one of Lorain’s
finest all-around athletes but also considered a “renaissance man” due to his proficiency in a wide range of artistic, academic, and professional
pursuits. Prior to high school, Jason stood out as an athlete within the Lorain Youth Baseball organization, his junior high football teams, and the
Tippie Insurance travel baseball club. During these formative years, Jason broadened his intellectual horizons by learning various musical instruments, with a particular focus on the piano and trumpet.
Though his football career ended after his freshman season at Lorain Catholic, baseball remained a constant passion throughout high school. Despite seeing limited playing time as a freshman on the varsity team, Jason’s contributions on the base paths were instrumental in propelling the
1990 Spartans to advance to Columbus and achieve a runner-up finish in the Division 3 state championship. This experience served as a springboard for the program’s success and Jason’s dominance in the Lorain Catholic record book over the next three seasons. When the dust settled, Jason emerged as the single-season leader in runs scored (35), doubles (12), and stolen bases (32), as well as the career leader in the same three categories with 94 runs scored, 26 doubles, and 81 steals. Jason also ranked 2nd in single-season hits in 1992 (39), third in all-time career hits (94), 2nd in single-season batting average (.527), 3rd in career batting average (.445), and 3rd for career on-base percentage (.580). For his offensive performances during the 1992 and 1993 seasons, Jason was recognized with the Lorain Catholic Golden Bat award, signifying the program’s offensive player of the year. In addition to his offensive prowess, Jason was acknowledged as the Gold Glove winner for his defensive abilities while patrolling centerfield for the Spartans in 1993. During his four years at Lorain Catholic, the baseball Spartans boasted a combined record of 62-18.
After graduation, Jason chose to continue his studies at Kent State University in the fall of 1993 and successfully made the baseball team during
a walk-on tryout attended by over 100 prospective student-athletes. However, a high ankle sprain suffered in January 1994 led to his redshirting during his freshman year. Following the 1994 season, Jason requested a transfer release from Kent. He then returned home to play for Lorain
UPC for his final summer of 18u travel baseball and embarked on a breakout season. At a tournament in Youngstown, UPC coach Adrian Abrahamowicz was approached by a Xavier University assistant regarding Jason’s potential interest in considering their school for the next chapter of his academic and athletic career. At the time of the introduction, Jason’s 51 hits were good for a .534 batting average that included 9 home runs and 42 RBIs through a mere 22 games. Jason and his family would visit Xavier during successive weeks, which led him to accept an athletic scholarship to the Division I school later that summer.
While at Xavier, Jason was a member of three consecutive Musketeer squads that improved their record over each previous season and annually qualified for their conference tournaments. The culmination of these performances came in 1997 when the Musketeers captured the Atlantic 10 West regular-season title with a record of 14-6 in league play and an overall record of 32-26. The 1997 season also saw Jason leaving his mark on the Atlantic 10 record books by leading the league in triples while also leading the Musketeers in stolen bases. A three-year starter, Jason played in 162 games during his career, logging 137 hits over 478 at-bats for a career batting average of .287.
Since graduating, Jason has held leadership positions in both major public and private companies for the last 25 years. He began his career at JP Morgan Chase, then moved to Ford Motor Company and Target Corporation before serving in his current role as the General Manager for Morgan Services. Along the way, Jason returned to the classroom to earn his MBA in Strategic Management from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management.
Jason and his wife Sara, residents of Westlake, share their home with their two children, Evelyn and Aaron. Both children share similar interests with their father. Evelyn excels as an honor student at Westlake High School, demonstrating proficiency in multiple musical instruments and contributing
as a member of the swim team. Meanwhile, Aaron, known as AJ, actively participates in football and basketball at his junior high school and plays for the T3 Warhawks baseball club during the summers.
