Van Horn Says It's Jones' Time to Make Big Jump in Production
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When Dave Van Horn met with the media Thursday afternoon, one of the first topics was how sophomore utility player, Jayson Jones, is performing ahead of the season opener. The Savannah, Texas, native was the No. 5 prospect in the country during the 2022 recruiting cycle.
Jones played sparingly throughout 2023, appearing in 20 games with 13 starts. He recorded a .196 batting average with two home runs and six RBI. A huge jump is expected from Jones, according to Van Horn.
"You know, it's time," Van Horn said. "[Jones] is ready to go. As far as the outside noise, all the worries, we've had some really good conversations in my office here and there. Coach Thompson had good talks with him as well. Time to play. Have fun. Enjoy it. Enjoy the game. Enjoy being on a team. Because when you do that, I think it starts to flow for you. Everybody pulls for each other and that’s what I want."
The game of baseball starts to speed up a bit once player move up a level. Ball movement and placement are different than anything freshmen have ever seen before. For Jones, there was plenty of hype surrounding his recruitment after foregoing the MLB Draft. Now, he seems to be stepping up, drowning out the noise and poised to earn more playing time.
"I want Jayson not to worry about the other things," Van Horn said. "Get back to baseball. Don't worry about what someone down south is saying. It's time to just play baseball and enjoy it. That's probably the best way I can put it."
For Jones, it's likely he will see more time in left field than third base. One positive coming from his freshman season is his dependable glove. During limited appearances, he committed only one fielding error in 25 attempts. Van Horn is hopeful his bat matches his fielding ability, making Jones a major contributor to the line-up.
"At left field we've been playing Jayson Jones out there," Van Horn said. "During late fall and drill work, he's been out there about 80% of his time. He's spent a little bit of time at third. If the bat gets going it could really help us. A lot of times, left field whether it be summer ball, Division One baseball or Major League about swinging the bat, being a good defender you don't have to be overly special if you hit enough."
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