Jayson Jones’ everyday grind has led to MLB Draft
LITTLE ELM, Texas (BVM) — Growing up, Jayson Jones’ grandmother would always tell him that she and the rest of the family would see him on TV one day. This simple sentiment served a purpose and motivation for Jones and now, he’s on the doorstep of achieving that.
With Jones’ family’s athletic background, he was always destined to play beyond the high school level.
His father played in the Tigers and Yankees systems, his mom played collegiate basketball and his older brother currently plays baseball at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff.
“If you come to my house and if you don’t step or trip on a baseball, a basketball or a bat or something, then there’s something wrong with us that day,” Jones said.
Growing up in a sports family has helped Jones get to the point where he is now: an Arkansas baseball commit and the No. 143 prospect for this summer’s MLB Draft.
One of the top players in the state of Texas, he stars at shortstop for Braswell High School, one of the newer schools in the Denton area. Only being founded in 2016, Jones has helped create a connected culture that should stick with the program for years to come.
“We want to be as respectful as we can, let everybody do their job and ultimately at the end of the day, love everybody,” Jones said. “Have fun with the game and be loose. That’s what we’ve instilled ever since we’ve opened up. Having team chemistry is probably the most important thing to win games.”
Before Jones got to Braswell, he played just about every sport growing up, deciding to strictly focus on baseball when he got to high school.
Halfway through his career at Braswell is when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Unlike others, Jones took advantage of the situation, trying to get to the field every day with his dad.
“We’d go as soon as the sun came up and left when it came back down,” Jones said. “It felt like a new grind to the game that my dad instilled into me.”
Jones’ hard work paid off, as he committed to the Razorback baseball program just a few months later.
I am very blessed and excited to announce that I will be furthering my academic and baseball career at The University of Arkansas. I would like to thank God, my family, and coaches for helping me achieve my dreams! #OmaHogs pic.twitter.com/TucW2p5ztF
— Jayson Jones (@jay_joness13) July 17, 2020
“The coaching staff was the real reason I fell in love with the school,” Jones said. “I know they’ll develop me, treat me with the utmost respect and give me opportunities to play at the next level.”
This combined with the campus, the fanbase and the prestige of the program made it an easy decision for Jones. But with the draft looming this summer, it is not a guarantee that Jones will get to Fayetteville. Regardless, Jones knows that he will be led in the right direction.
“The most important thing and the most important goal is just getting better every single day,” Jones said. “God will lead me in the right path that I need to go on. I just know at the end of the day, if I keep my love for the game and keep having fun, everything else is going to fall in line.”
Whether he is suiting up for the Razorbacks on SEC Network or playing for a minor league affiliate on MiLB.TV, the entire Jones family will be able to tune in and watch him play.
