One month before the beginning of his final high school baseball season, Wright City senior catcher Chase Jones committed to play at St. Louis Community College in the fall.

“It’s awesome to know that all that hard work is paying off,” Jones said.

Last season, Jones hit .435 for the Wildcats while leading the team to a 21-6 record.

He appeared in 27 games last season, collecting 40 hits, 30 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.

A former pitcher, Jones moved behind the plate when he was 13, and the switch paid off.

He joins a STLCC program that was one win away from qualifying for the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series last season.

Despite a loaded roster, he likes his chances of finding a home in the lineup early in his career.

“If I keep working hard I can compete for a spot,” he said.

Jones said he liked the idea of playing college ball close to home, as well as the connection he made with the coaching staff early in his recruitment.

According to Jones, St. Louis Community College coaches Scott Goodrich and Garrett Bauer were honest about what he needed to work on before college.

“I definitely need to improve my arm strength,” Jones said.

The coaches also told him they could continue to develop his swing as he gets older, something that intrigued him.

“They seem like a laid-back crew, and they don’t seem to play favorites,” he said. “They go off what you can produce and the work you put in.”

NEXT STEP — Wright City senior catcher Chase Jones commits to play college baseball at St. Louis Community College. Front row, from left, father, Mike Jones, Chase Jones and mother, Patty Jones. Second from, from left, Wright City Assistant Coach Jeff Sargent, St. Louis Community College Assistant Coach Garrett Bauer and Wright City Head Coach Shannon Wells.