Player Profile: Cody Jones, baseball

Cody Jones, senior outfielder for the Catamounts, is very passionate about baseball.
    Jones said, “Ever since I was three years old, I have played baseball, and I have loved every minute of it.”
    Jones started playing baseball on an organized team at age three on a south Asheville baseball field in Oakley, NC.
    The greatest moment Jones has had in his college career was last season when the Western Carolina University Catamounts beat the Wofford Terriers to win the Southern Conference regular season championship.
    “In that moment I knew that all of our hard work had all paid off and was worth every second of it,” said Jones.
    Jones is grateful for the time he has had at WCU, and has enjoyed his teammates immensely.
    “My teammates have been amazing through my years of WCU. I have made some great lifelong friends, and gotten to know some great groups of people. I know that for the rest of my life, if I am in desperate need of someone’s help, then I could call one of my teammates and they would drop everything to come help me, no matter what situation,” said Jones.
    The time Jones has played at WCU as a Catamount, will give Jones great memories.
    “I think that my greatest memory of baseball would have to be after ever win at home, we get to go through a beer shower with the ‘Left Field Lunatics.’ The smell of beer in the huddle after the game is a great smell of victory,” said Jones.
    Jones’ family has been a solid support system throughout his life.
    “My family was amazingly supportive of my baseball dreams growing up, especially since I had two step brothers, two step sisters, one blood sister and an adopted brother.
    “I had a lot of siblings, so it made my parent’s job very hard because they were divorced and all of my other siblings have needs and wants as well,” said Jones.
    “My grandparents were very supportive as well, they would come cheer me on and defend me when the calls were against me.
    “Some people say that it is hard for a divorced family to stay all together as a family, but I wouldn’t trade my family for anything in the world,” said Jones.
    “They are amazing  they have been so supportive by coming to a lot of my games and picking me up when I was down and congratulating me when I did good.
    “For a family that is so big and divorced, they have been the best support and I couldn’t ask for anything more,” said Jones.
    WCU was a natural pick for Jones.
    Being from Asheville, it allows his family to come see him play.
    If for not being so close to home, Jones’ little brother, Evan, would not be able to see him play as often.
    “He has been my biggest fan throughout my years of playing baseball, he has attended so many Catamount baseball games and is the best little brother that I could ever ask for,” said Jones.
    Jones’ plan for after his collegiate baseball career is to continue to have baseball as a major part of his life.
    His first choice is to go to a Major League Baseball team to have a chance to get drafted.
    If that does not happen, Jones wants to become a coach at the high school level, working his way up to coaching at the collegiate level.
    His plans do not end at baseball. Jones has a fiancé, whom he met in high school, who he will be marrying in the fall.
    Jones’ legacy he wants to leave for WCU fans and teammates is that he went on the field and gave it everything he had every game.