Indiana University Athletics
Hoosier Minor League Report: Kennard Jones
8/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Aug. 22, 2005
Throughout the history of Indiana baseball, a large contingent of Hoosiers have gone on to play at the professional level. There are currently 10 former IU standouts playing professional ball and in the upcoming weeks IUHOOSIERS.com will take a look at how each player is doing with their respective ballclubs.
After catching up with Colorado Rockies' farmhand Zach McClellan, Kennard Jones is up next. Jones was one of three players to earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors and was an All-Mideast Region selection in 2002, his only season as a Hoosier. He led IU to an appearance in the Big Ten tournament while leading the team with a .404 average, 75 runs and 22 stolen bases.
Following his lone season in Bloomington, the San Diego Padres drafted Jones in the third round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft. He now resides as the starting center fielder for the Mobile BayBears, the Double-A affiliate of the Padres. Jones has played in 117 games this season and holds a .275 batting average (126-for-458) with 54 RBI, 58 runs, one home run, 22 doubles, three triples, 22 steals and 68 bases on balls.
Jones currently is riding a red-hot stretch at the plate. He has reached safely in 26 of 28 games since July 26, batting .356 (37-for-104) to raise his average from .249 to .275. Additionally, Jones has recorded 10 RBI, 22 runs, six doubles, one triple, nine stolen bases and 14 walks.
The Cleveland, Ohio, native has spent his entire career in the Padres' farm system, playing in 383 games and boasting a .276 batting average. Jones also has corralled 124 RBI, 223 runs, two homers, 66 doubles, 16 triples, 79 stolen bases and 193 walks while compiling a .363 on-base percentage as a leadoff hitter.
