GROSSE POINTE - Big 10 interest at the age of 15 can be very exhilarating to say the least. When it turns into an offer, it can be dramatic as Jack Jones discovered.

“It was very exciting at first,” related the second-ranked pitcher in the state’s 2023 class. “But then the conversation became serious. My parents and I talked it over.”

Was Michigan State the right choice for the University Liggett incoming sophomore?

“I liked the coaches,” Jones reasoned.

“It’s close to home,” was another plus according to Jones.

“A bunch of pitchers play both ways there,” added Jones. “That really set it over for us.”

A commitment soon followed for the 13th-rated 2023 player in Michigan.

“We started talking around two weeks ago,” Jones said about Michigan State, which is located less than two hours from home. “I sent a video to them and they studied it over. They said they see a lot of their old starting pitchers in me.”

An offer came quickly.

“They really liked me and I liked them,” Jones noted. “I can’t wait to go there and play the game I love.”

Doing it as a two-way player adds to the excitement for the right-hand pitcher and third baseman.

“That’s a big part of it,” Jones said about a decision that left Michigan State at the top of a list that included Xavier, Duke, Michigan and Cincinnati. “I love pitching and hitting and fielding. I don’t want to just be a PO. I want to be in every game ... every day ... every pitch.”

A strong relationship developed quickly during conversations with Michigan State.

“I love the coaches,” Jones explained. “Coach (Graham) Sikes and coach (Jake) Boss were really nice over the phone. They seem to want me. I love Lansing. It’s in-state and I love that for me. And then there’s the opportunity to play both ways.”

Not long ago, there was some uncertainty when it came to the future of Jones, who suffered a shoulder injury while playing football in late 2018.

“With the arm injury I spent the majority of last year in rehab during the offseason working on getting my velo back up,” Jones reflected. “I’m a big believer in mechanics and I worked hard on my mechanics getting sound.”

The PBR Preseason All-State event in March brought the results the 6-3 178-pounder was hoping to see.

“That was the first showcase I really went to after rehabbing my arm,” Jones noted. “All the work paid off. I had a good velo jump. At the end of 14U, I was sitting 78-81 and after lots of training in the offseason it bumped up to 85.

“It felt good to me,” Jones added about the showcase in which he also had an 86 exit velocity. “It really boosted my confidence level. I felt I could compete with anyone in the state. It proves that hard work pays off. It felt really satisfying to put up those good numbers.”

It has Jones looking forward to a bright future.

“I feel I’m in a good place now,” Jones said. “I’ve got to improve every day and make myself better every day so I can be the best I can be when I step on campus. The focus will be on my body and putting on more weight and more muscle. I also want to get faster. I’ve got a diet plan to put on more weight.

“I also want to improve my mental game,” added Jones, who carries a 3.9 GPA at University Liggett. “I’d like to be more mentally strong and more calm on the mound. I’ve been pretty good at it, but sometimes I think too much.”

The desire to play at the next level started at the age of seven.

“I had a friend on my team whose brother went on to play college baseball and after seeing that I wanted to get there.” Jones related. “I watched the Little League World Series and fell in love with the game.”

Reality started kicking in.

“My 12U year I played Little League I was very confident in my abilities,” Jones said. “We made it to Williamsport and it was then I started to realize how good we were. The next year in Fed Ball I started to believe if I kept working hard I can get there.”

Twin brother Ryan has been there throughout.

“I owe a lot of my success to him,” Jones said of the 70th-ranked 2023 in Michigan, a catcher and first baseman. “He always pushes me. I get a lot of my competitiveness from him. We love pushing each other to make each other better. We’re always asking each other to go hit or do a bullpen. I make him better and he makes me better.”

His father Rich, who “has been coaching me for most of my life,” is another that has made a major impact in his baseball journey according to Jones, as well as high school and summer coach Dan Cimini and high school assistants Joe Loria and Steve Kathan.

“I know I’m a hard worker,” Jones said about what he’s learned along the way. “I think when I get to Michigan State I’ll not only make myself better through hard work but players around me. I want to make the program better in every way possible.”