Jones signs with Cubs

The Citadel Sports Information Citadel catcher Richard Jones was chosen by the Chicago Cubs in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball draft and signed with the Cubs on Monday.

By TREVOR ZION BAUKNIGHT
Item Sports Writer

The opportunity to play professional baseball proved too much to pass up for the Citadel's Richard Jones, the former Wilson Hall and Sumter American Legion P-15's standout, who signed on with the Chicago Cubs organization on Monday.

Jones reports to the Cubs' training facilities in Arizona on Thursday for preliminaries such as physical exams. He said he may play a game or two in Arizona, but will probably be assigned to the team's short-season league in Idaho where he'll play through September.

Jones said part of his decision had to do with making the most of his opportunity to advance with the Cubs.

“I just feel like I need to go ahead and go,” said Jones. “I think the sooner I get into the Cubs system, the better shot I'll have. It's tough leaving family and friends and everything, but I just felt like it was time to get started.”

Jones said his family supported his decision to forego his senior season at the Citadel, where he earned All-American honors as a freshman designated hitter and again as a junior catcher.

“We're all excited,” Jones said. “We knew we had to take this step now. It's great to be able to sign at the same time as (fellow P-15) Travis (Witherspoon). Allen (Caldwell) signed last year and I think (the Citadel's Matt) Talley's not far



behind — it'd be great to have four P-15's playing (professionally) at the same time.”

Jones batted .378 for the Bulldogs last season, good for second on the team, with a school record 17 home runs and a team-leading 69 runs batted in. He has been playing for the Coastal Plain League's Thomasville, N.C. Hi-Toms the last two summers to fine-tune his hitting.

Jones was selected by the Cubs in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Players draft on June 10, the 290th pick overall. He is the second Citadel player selected by the Cubs.