Taylor Jones Selected on Final Day of MLB Draft
6/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Complete Draft Results
SPOKANE, Wash.—One more Gonzaga University baseball player was drafted Wednesday as infielder/right handed pitcher Taylor Jones was selected by the Chicago Cubs on the third and final day of the 2015 MLB First Year Player Draft.
Jones, a 6-7, 225 pound first baseman from Kent, Wash., was the Cubs' 35th round pick, the eighth pick of the round and 1,043rd overall. After focusing on his play in the field in 2015, Jones had a breakout season. He led the Zags with a .358 batting average and was second in both slugging and on base percentages after joining the starting lineup near the beginning of West Coast Conference play. In just 33 starts (44 games total), the junior amassed 48 hits, 30 RBIs, 24 runs, and five home runs. His batting average was the second highest in the WCC, and he also finished among the conference's top 10 in slugging and on base percentage. While in the field, Jones showed soft hands and provided a big target, posting a .991 fielding percentage, second-best among Gonzaga's regular starters. Numerous career highs came during 2015 for Jones, including a pair of four-hit games and an additional pair of three-RBI games.
"We are very happy for Taylor and very proud of what he has accomplished this year," said Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf. "We look forward to him being a big part of our 2016 squad as we move forward."
Jones is the third Bulldog drafted in the 2015 MLB Draft as both Andrew Sopko and Mitchell Gunsolus went on day two. Gonzaga baseball has now seen at least three players drafted in four of the last six years. As juniors, both Jones and Sopko have the option of delaying their professional careers for one more year and returning to Gonzaga for their senior seasons. Gunsolus, a senior, graduated and exhausted his eligibility in May.
