Robinson inspires N.C. State's Jones

Wearing No. 42 turned season around

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- N.C. State's Marcus Jones could do little Saturday but sit in the dugout at South Carolina's Sarge Frye Field, fiddle with his bat, watch raindrops fall and wait for a decision to be made.

After the Wolfpack's 6-3 loss to Charlotte on Friday in the first game of the NCAA Columbia Regional, after going hitless against the 49ers, Jones was stoked for a Saturday game against Wofford. But it was not to be.

With more rain in the forecast, the elimination game was postponed until today at 11 a.m. Top-seeded South Carolina will face Charlotte in the second game, with the loser then taking on the State-Wofford winner at 7 p.m.

"I think it's much harder to sit around in a rain delay," Jones said, putting a positive spin on the decision. "I guess we got a little bit lucky. We can relax, get some rest and come out fully loaded [today]."

Jones' hitless day at the plate Friday was a rarity for the sophomore center fielder, who has been "fully loaded" late in the season. In the Pack's past 23 games, he has hit .383, lifting his batting average to .322. He batted .545 in the ACC Tournament, earning all-tournament honors.

"I just stopped worrying about it so much," he said. "Earlier in the year, I was overthinking and over-analyzing each at-bat, worrying about what pitch they were going to throw me, how they were going to pitch for me.

"Now, I just go back to Little League -- see the ball and hit the ball. I try to keep it as simple as possible, and I'm getting the results."

It's easy for Jones to find the turning point in his season. It was April 15, designated as Jackie Robinson Day by Major League Baseball in honor of the late Hall of Famer who was the first African-American to play in the majors. Jones, who had been benched for a few games, wore No. 42, Robinson's jersey number, for the Pack's game at Miami. He had four hits, including a homer, and three RBIs.

"I didn't feel worthy of wearing that number," said Jones, a Washington, D.C., native. "I don't really think many ballplayers are. I was honored to wear it that day. I just wanted to go out, play hard and have fun."

Jones said it felt a bit surreal -- wearing No. 42, hitting the ball, playing with a sense of pride, experiencing the pure joy of playing baseball.

"It's probably the most confident I felt at the plate all year," he said, smiling. "Since then, I took it and ran with it."

Jones is something of a rarity in the ACC, especially among Triangle teams -- an African-American baseball player. He also has a theory why other young blacks are not not progressing into college baseball.

"I think it's partly due to the money," he said. "In baseball, you don't have the big signing bonuses like you do in basketball and football. One part of it is guys worrying about their families and their well-being. I also think it's much cheaper growing up to play basketball and football."

Division I baseball programs are allowed 11.7 scholarships, which are divided among several players, forcing their families to take on a large chunk of paying the cost of attendance. If an athlete earns a basketball or football scholarship to college, it's a full ride.

"It's all about opportunity," NCSU coach Elliott Avent said. "I'm surprised that with the lack of opportunity for scholarships in baseball, which has decreased the opportunity for African-Americans in our sport, that someone hasn't complained."

Jones said his family can afford to send him to college, that he's fortunate. He also credits his father in guiding him toward baseball.

Keith Jones often told his son stories about Negro League stars from the 1930s and '40s -- such players as pitcher Satchel Paige and catcher Josh Gibson.

"That's why I wear No. 20 -- for Josh Gibson," Marcus said.

Jones has just four homers this season but did swat a Gibson-esque shot against North Carolina this season -- a long grand slam that spurred an 11-1 victory. Against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament, he was 4-for-5, with a double, triple and two RBIs.

Although he didn't have a hit against Charlotte, Jones scored two of State's three runs.

"Marcus is extremely talented," Avent said. "He's always had another gear he could put it in. It was just a matter of us trying to get him to go to that next level.

"I think sitting on the bench woke him up, ticked him off a little bit. Then, he put No. 42 on that day ... "