Panther headed to Cougs
Published 11:50 pm Friday, August 17, 2007
SNOHOMISH – Instead of playing the waiting game, Derek Jones chose a sure thing.
The senior-to-be from Snohomish High School verbally committed Aug. 9 to play baseball for Washington State University. The left-handed pitcher and outfielder said he had been waiting for a baseball scholarship offer from Oregon State University, which won the College World Series in 2006 and 2007. But Jones ultimately decided to commit early to Washington State and avoid the possibility of giving up a great opportunity.
Jones, The Herald’s 2007 All-Area Baseball Player of the Year, expects to receive a 75 percent athletic scholarship from WSU.
“I didn’t want to wait any longer because the (college) recruiting process moves a lot faster than it did five (or) 10 years ago,” Jones said. “So the longer you wait, the more you risk a chance of losing your scholarship.”
The multi-talented Jones, known for his prowess on the mound as well as his power at the plate, received major interest from NCAA Division-I recruiters all summer while playing for the Seattle Stars, a nationally known select team that helped develop stars like Jackson High alum Travis Snider.
By late July, Jones narrowed his college search to three Pacific-10 Conference schools: Washington State, Oregon State and Washington. He took recruiting visits to all three campuses.
After chopping the UW from his list, Jones picked WSU over Oregon State. He made a non-binding verbal commitment last week during a phone conversation with Cougars coach Donnie Marbut. Jones had just finished playing at Safeco Field in Day 2 of the Mariners Cup, a prestigious exposure tournament.
WSU’s Marbut is not allowed to talk about Jones until the Snohomish standout signs a binding NCAA National Letter of Intent. Prep baseball players can sign starting in November.
Jones is ranked No. 3 in the state among Class of 2008 players by Baseball Northwest. Jackson High outfielder Danny Oh is No.1. Oh is also expected to receive a D-I scholarship.
This past spring Jones helped lead Snohomish to a runner-up finish in the Class 4A state tourney. Effective as a pitcher and as a hard-hitting outfielder, he has the potential to excel in either role in college, Snohomish coach Kim Hammons said.
“I think it’s a tossup. It could go either way,” Hammons said.
Based on feedback from professional scouts, Jones said he probably won’t get selected in the first five rounds of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. If that holds true, he’d prefer to go to WSU and see what happens after his junior season, when he would become eligible for the draft again.
So what about football? Jones is a stellar gridiron player who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2006 and has started on defense since his sophomore year.
Fortunately for Snohomish football fans, Jones will suit up this fall and play his senior season. Following a Thursday morning practice at Veterans Memorial Stadium, the fullback/safety/linebacker said he looks forward to helping the Panthers try to advance to the playoffs.
