MLB draft prospect, ORU star Jonah Cox was ‘bred for baseball’
Editor’s note: The Oakland Athletics selected OF Jonah Cox with the No. 166 pick in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft on July 10.
TULSA, Okla. (BVM) – Oral Roberts quickly became the best story of the college baseball postseason. Throughout the Golden Eagles’ run to Omaha, some of their stars shined the brightest, but none bigger than Jonah Cox.
Cox built his hit streak up to 47 games and he led the entire nation with 114 hits this past season. The Golden Eagles center fielder was a big part of the team’s success and now he is a name to watch in the upcoming MLB draft.
46 GAME HITTING STREAK FOR JONAH COX ‼️🔥
He also cuts the lead to 1 for Oral Roberts 👀 pic.twitter.com/pbgX6pGFxt
— 11Point7: The College Baseball Podcast 🎙 (@11point7) June 11, 2023
Joe Doyle of Future Star Series ranks Cox as the No. 147 player in the draft.
He put himself on the map to pro scouts this year, but he has always been destined to have a baseball career. Cox’s father had a 16-year pro career of his own while his mom played softball at the powerhouse of Oklahoma.
“People like to say we were bred for baseball,” Cox said about himself and his siblings. “My family was always at the ballpark.”
This was a huge benefit as he got older. While some kids grew up without much of a baseball background, his family lived and breathed it.
“For a person like me that doesn’t like failing, baseball is sometimes hard to wrap your mind around,” Cox said. “It’s a huge advantage to have two older brothers, a dad and a mom that all played the game to really lean on.”
This helped him find a love of baseball early on and it allows him to enjoy playing, no matter how big or small the stage.
“I’m just trying to have fun. Really realizing that I’m playing a game that’s meant for kids,” Cox said. “You’re at your best when you just act like you’re playing wiffle ball with your friends.”
Jonah Cox doing Jonah Cox things to get the Golden Eagles on the board 🦅@ORUBaseball x @JonahCox02 pic.twitter.com/AZQFVwLUC0
— D1Baseball (@d1baseball) June 20, 2023
Cox started off his college career at Butler Community College in Kansas, before going to Eastern Oklahoma State College and then eventually winding up at Oral Roberts, so he has made plenty of friends along the way.
“I’ve been blessed to meet a lot of really cool people,” Cox said.
He had strong seasons at both schools and continued that when he transferred this year. Cox hit .412 in 2023 while slugging at a .646 clip. He was named the Summit League Player of the Year.
🚨 New single-season hit 🤴 🚨
No one in #SummitBSB history has more hits in a season than @ORUBaseball centerfielder Jonah Cox, who picked up No. 112 on the season with this fourth-inning single vs. TCU at the #MCWS @NCAABaseball | 🎥 @espn pic.twitter.com/S3lApdbthG
— The Summit League (@TheSummitLeague) June 20, 2023
Cox is now expected to be an MLB draft pick after putting up those types of numbers, but he still does not let anything get to his head.
“One quote that I was raised on is, ‘Keep your head where your feet are,’” Cox said. “I can control how I do my work today and if I get better today. That’s all I can control.”
He will have to wait a few more weeks before the 2023 MLB Draft decides his fate, but Cox is in no rush to accomplish his lifelong aspirations.
“I think the biggest goal is just to play professional baseball. Whether that happens this year, next year, or in five years,” Cox said. “I think that’s everybody’s goal. That’s been the dream since I was a kid.”