2014 — Overcame injury and a slow early season start to fashion a productive junior campaign...garnered SoCon All-Tournament honors (along with former teammate Alex Abrams) after hitting .400 (8-for-20) with a home run and five RBI, and registering three outfield assists in four tournament games...homered in Furman’s 6-5, 11-inning opening round win over UNCG and went 3-for-6 and drove in the game tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning against Georgia Southern, highlighting the Paladins’ comeback from a 7-1 seventh inning deficit...all told, earned playing time in 44 games and starts in 38 contests, including 23 in right field, 13 in left field, and two at designated hitter...batted .309 with two home runs and 23 RBI...hit just .162 (6x37) thru Apr. 1 before rallying to swat .357 (40x112) over his final 29 games...hit .440 (22x50) in April (15 games), including .475 (19x40) over an 11-game stretch from Apr. 8-30...went 6-for-12 at the plate in three-game series at Western Carolina to key the Paladins to a two games to one series win over the Catamounts — WCU’s first home series loss in two seasons...went 2-for-4 with a run and made a leaping, over-the-fence grab in right field in the first inning to take away a home run in Sunday’s series clinching, 6-1 victory over the Catamounts...doubled, scored twice, and drove in a pair of runs in a 4-for-6 outing against The Citadel (8-6 win) in Charleston...belted a three-run home run in a 14-3 pasting of Elon en route to a three-game series sweep of the Phoenix...finished the year with an eight-game hitting streak...named to the SoCon Academic Honor Roll. 2013 — Began the season as Furman’s starting left fielder before injuries cut into playing time...saw action in 37 games and earned 25 starts, including 22 in left field, two at designated hitter, and one in center field...batted .312 (29x93)...went 2-for-4 and stole two bases in 6-5, 11-inning win over Miami of Ohio...stroked a two-run double against Elon (10-4 win)...had a 2-for-3 outing in Furman’s 9-2 triumph over Western Carolina...went 4-for-4 to account for half of Furman’s eight hits against Wofford (5-0 loss)...walked twice, had two hits, and scored twice against Georgia Southern (13-5 win). 2012 — Recorded an impressive first season, appearing in 40 games and logging 23 starts, primarily in right field (16) but also as designated hitter (7)...hit .284 with one home run and 13 RBI...was a perfect 9-of-9 in stolen base attempts...enjoyed a strong SoCon Tournament performance (.412, 7x17, 3 RBI)...stroked two-out, game-tying RBI single in bottom of 11th inning in eventual 5-4, 12th-inning victory over Davidson...combined to go 5-for-8 with two RBI in two games against Clemson...tripled and homered to left center field as part of a 3-for-3, 2-RBI, 3-run outing in 9-8 triumph over Georgia Southern...fashioned a 3-for-4, two-run performance at UNCG (9-8 win)...stole a pair of bases versus Gardner-Webb (11-7 win)...named to the SoCon Academic Honor Roll.
High School: 2011 graduate of Newsome (6A) High School...played outfield...coach was Bill Highsmith...hit .405, stole 21 bases, and captured all-district honors his senior year...helped Newsome go 15-10 and win the Saladino Tournament championship in 2011...played summer ball with the Ostingers.
Personal: Full name is Jacob Ryan Jones...son of Jeff and Linda Jones, both Furman graduates...father was a four-time All-SoCon performer (1984-87) in soccer and member of three SoCon championship teams who still ranks as the Paladins’ fourth all-time leading scorer with 101 points (34 goals, 33 assists)...business administration major.
