The year was 2012. The Columbus High School Blue Devils were about to win their 12th state baseball championship. They were playing Ringgold and had a comfortable lead. Only two runs away from ending the game and winning the title via run rule, freshman Alonzo Jones Jr. came into the game to pinch run. Already targeted as a key component in the future of Columbus High baseball, Jones had played sparingly as a freshman. He was young, but he had all the tools – not the least of which was speed. When he entered the game, he knew what his assignment was. He was there to score. Get to the plate and end the game. Jones did that very thing, but the manner in which he did it was slightly less than orthodox and demonstrated just how much understood the game.
“I was on second, and there was another runner on third,” he recalls. The Ringgold pitcher’s offering got away from the catcher. The runner on third broke as soon as he realized the ball had gotten away from the catcher. Jones did the same, heading for third with everything he had. There was a play at the plate and the runner from third knocked the ball out of the catcher’s mitt. Jones saw the opportunity immediately and never slowed down.
“I don’t remember seeing any sign from my coach. He didn’t tell me to stop, and he didn’t tell me to run. I went on my own, and I don’t think I’ve ever run that fast in my life.” Jones scored without a play and secured yet another state championship for the Blue Devils.
Three years later, Jones is enjoying his senior season at Columbus High. He’s one of the best young baseball players in the country and has committed to play at Vanderbilt. Jones has also been tagged as a potential first-round draft pick, which means he may never even make it to Nashville. First-round money is life-changing money, and Jones is well aware that his future could take a serious turn come June. Until then, though, he has his eyes on another state championship.
The physical tools are there, no question about it. Jones is above average in every category, and his athleticism and 
speed put him near the top of his baseball class. Jones has posted a personal best 60-yard dash time of 6.17; that’s nearly a second faster than the average major leaguer’s 60 time. That kind of speed gives a team options, both offensively and defensively. Because of his speed, some scouts are wondering if he wouldn’t be a better fit in center field. Jones would rather play shortstop, but he’s willing to do whatever he needs to in order to keep playing.
“I don’t mind playing in the outfield. At the end of the day, I want to play Major League Baseball, and wherever I need to play in order to keep getting better is fine with me. But I’d like the opportunity to play shortstop,” he says.
Last season, Jones finished the year hitting .394 with 11 doubles, six triples, 22 stolen bases, and one home run. Jones attributes his success more to his mental approach to baseball than his physical tools. He spends as much – if not more – time working on the intangibles. Jones is a student of baseball and he always has a plan before each game. As a game progresses, he alters his plan as needed.
“I think being mentally prepared is as important as having the physical ability to play. I approach each game with a specific plan. I have the same pre-game routine. I evaluate the circumstances and situation before each at-bat. I’m always aggressive on defense. It gives me the confidence I need to play well,” he says.
So what are Jones’s goals for the 2015 season? He already has the attention. He’s talked with pro scouts from teams throughout the major leagues. He’s played in front of huge crowds, in big-league stadiums, and in a host of prestigious All-Star games. It would seem that he’s done just about all that a high school player could do. But Alonzo Jones isn’t satisfied just yet.
“I want another state championship,” he said. “The last two years, we haven’t played as well as we could have. We didn’t put it together at the right time. This year, we’re all on the same page. It’s my senior year, and I want to get back to state.”
Sidebar:
When Alonzo Jones isn’t playing baseball, you can usually find him making music. He has played the piano for eight years and picked up the guitar this year for a senior project. He has taken thousands of hours of piano lessons, but doesn’t take anymore because he simply doesn’t have the time. Jones’s piano hobby is restricted to home; he does most of his playing when his family is around. “Christmas music. That’s what I usually play. I play Christmas music during the holidays for my family,” he says.
Favorites:
• Major League team: St. Louis Cardinals
• Player: Ozzie Smith
• Last book: As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
• Superpower: Super speed
• Super hero: Batman
• Place to travel: Tokyo
• Person to meet: Ken Griffey Jr.
Player Spotlight/Columbus Valley/April-May 2015
Alonzo Jones Jr.
Columbus High School
Columbus, Ga.
Robert Preston Jr.
Columbus High senior the latest in a storied tradition of pro-level players at CHS
