By: William Love

The Chicago Cubs selected the catcher in the ninth round of this year's amateur draft. Jones, who is from Sumter, S.C., went to school at The Citadel, which is known as the military college of South Carolina.

Why did you decide to forgo your senior year at The Citadel to play professional baseball?

"It was about 50-50 for me, really. Obviously, everybody wants to play for the Cubs. They are one of those teams — Yankees, Red Sox and Cubs — that are the traditional teams. Once my roommate, and the guy that hit right behind me, Chris McGuiness, who went 13th to Boston, said he was going, I kinda had to go because he was my protection."

What is a common misnomer about The Citadel?

"A lot of people think we all have to go into the military, but we don't. Only about a third of us do. Over half the school is business majors, and I was as well. It is more like a super-charged fraternity than a military school."

What was your first thought when you heard you were assigned to Boise?

"Before I went to Mesa, Ariz., I had never been west of the Mississippi (River), so kinda new and fun. I knew Mesa was hot, so I was hoping it would be a little bit cooler and it is. ... It's great."