Former Carroll Star Hayden Jones Enjoying Experience at Illinois State

Former Carroll Star Hayden Jones Enjoying Experience at Illinois State

Well the cancellation of spring sports basically turned this season into a redshirt year for most division one baseball players..but for those who were already redshirting, like fort wayne native hayden jones, the last few weeks have really been business as usual..petar hood shows us how... narr: for former carroll high school star hayden jones, college baseball season getting canceled wasn't all bad...hayden jones: "i mean, it works out for me, becasue this way i don't have to sit out a season technically.

I don't really miss anything."

Narr: yeah for jones, this spring was going to be all about working on is own game anyway.

And from that standpoint, nothing has changed..jones: "biggest thing is just getting my swing back to where it was out of high school.

It kind of got screwed up where i was at, and too many things were getting thrown at me that weren't true.

And so now, it's just getting back to the good stage of timing and everything really."narr: where he was at was mississippi state.

Despite playing in 27 games on a team that made it all the way to the college world series, jones decided to move on from starkville following his freshman season.

And it didn't take long for him to find a new home with the illinois state redbirds.jones: "i had sec schools, acc schools involved, and... if i was going to stay in the sec, i would have stayed where i was.

But, the coaches at illinois state, the relationship i have with them, you couldn't pass that up."narr: and those relationships, jones believes, have led to some much-needed individual development.

Hayden's goal is to get drafted next summer.

And while he feels like he's in a good position to be able to do that, he also knows going back to bloomington for another season or two isn't a bad backup..jones: "i tell myelf every day going into it... whatever happens, happens.

I've got two, three more years at illinois state, or i get drafted next year.

And that's just the one big thing is i'm in a win-win."narr: as for his immediate future, jones is planning on playing in the prestigious cape cod league with the bourne braves this summer.

In fort wayne, petar hood, fox 55 sports..

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