Jones, Donathan excel in first college seasons
May 22—Norfolk State University's baseball team struggled this season, posting a 12-41 overall record and going just 7-26 in Northeast Conference play.
There were plenty of reasons for such a disappointing season, but don't blame it on the Spartans' freshman right fielder.
Southern Lee High School graduate Jalan Jones earned a spot in the NSU starting lineup as soon as he arrived on campus and started working out wuth the team. He was named the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week in the third week of the 2024 season, and followed through on that to have an excellent first season of college baseball.
Jones, who was one of four seniors on Southern Lee's outstanding 2023 team to sign college pacts with Division I or II schools during that season, had a signficant impact at the D-1 level as a freshman. He played in 51 of Norfolk's 53 games and hit .318 (61-for-192), with four home runs and 30 RBI to go along with 38 runs scored. His on-base (.390) and slugging (.490) percentages were strong, and he tied for fifth in the NEC with 15 doubles and tied for third with three triples. He even stole 11 bases in 15 attempts.
Jones was the Rookie of the Week for March 5, after a dominant performance in a three-game series against St. Peter's, where he hit .545 in three games and drove in eight runs and scored five. That series pushed his batting average over .300 for the season and he stayed there the rest of the way, pushing his average as high as .381 at one point.
Donathan starts strong at UNCPOf the four Cavalier standouts of a year ago, one other started his college career with a bang. Catcher Ashton Donathan signed with UNC Pembroke, in the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas, and drew 15 starting assignments for the Braves, hitting .304 on the year with a slugging percentage of .507. Donathan had 21 hits in 69 at-bats with five doubles, three home runs, and scored 17 runs and scored 12 in 27 games. He also played error-free ball all season for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
Donathan went over the .300 mark on March 5 when he came off the bench and doubled twice in a win over Glenville State. He kept his average over that mark the rest of the season and ended with a flourish, going 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in a start at Catawba last Friday in the NCAA Tournament.
The Braves had a fine season, posting a 43-14 record and 19-11 in CC action. They finished fourth in the conference, but then won the CC tournament to make it to the NCAA Southeast Regional, where they went 1-2. They won the first game over Young Harris and led twice in their second game against No. 1 seed Catawba, including once on Donathan's homer for a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning, but couldn't hold on.
The other two '23 Cavalier standouts didn't get much of an opportunity this season. Kale Scruggs signed with Campbell University, but redshirted the campaign and never appeared in a game for the Fighting Camels this season. Pierce Bouwman signed with USC Upstate, but played in just four games, all off the bench. He is currently in the NCAA transfer portal seeking a better opportunity.
Both Donathan and Bouwman are making a homecoming of sorts to Tramway Park this summer. They are among a handful of past and present local standouts who will play for the Sanford Spinners in their upcoming season, which starts June 1.
