Swainsboro High School is home to many of Emanuel County’s standout athletes. This week’s Athlete of the Week is Harrison Jones.
Jones, from Kite, loves the game of baseball and all it entails. He has been playing the tedious game since he was 6-years-old.
However, playing baseball isn’t the only constant in Jones’ life. He couldn’t possibly imagine playing the sport without the love and support he receives from his family. “From an early age, my parents and my sister have supported me from playing t-ball to travel ball and now to school ball. They come to every game and sit in the stands and cheer me on,” he said.
Jones got his inspiration to play the game of baseball from his father. “My dad was a baseball player all his life. He had me playing in the yard since I could walk. I fell in love with the game at an early age.”
Now, Jones is a starter for his school and pitches and plays in the outfield. He plays a big role on the team as he is a leader on and off the field. Motivation is something that Jones uses to uplift the team in difficult situations in games. “I motivate everyone and when a player is having a bad day, I try my best to pick them up when we are down as a team.”
Tight situations are something that Jones loves about baseball. Not only does he get the chance to prove himself as a competitive athlete to spectators, Jones gets to pull the team out of a loss. One of his favorite memories as a Swainsboro Tiger is last season when they were playing Jeff Davis with bases loaded and two outs. Jones hit a single and drove in a run, allowing them to advance in the game.
In the future, Jones planes to further his baseball career at Georgia Southern University or Brewton-Parker College.