Peyton Jones to play softball at Heartland Community College
By FRED KRONER
A decade of playing travel softball has paid off for St. Joseph-Ogden senior Peyton Jones.
The middle infielder plans to continue her career at Heartland Community College, in Normal.
Though she also plays basketball for the Spartans, Jones had one sport clearly in focus for her future.
“I’ve always had my mind made up that I wanted to pursue college softball,” Jones said. “I’ve played basketball since I was in fifth grade, but I’ve never really thought about anything more than school basketball.
“Throughout the summer I play softball, so there really is no extra time for travel basketball.”
Her recruitment came about in a manner that would not have been possible when she was born.
“Coach (Casey) Jefferson reached out to me via Twitter, expressing interest in a visit to the campus,” Jones said. “I texted her back and we chatted.
“As soon as I went on my visit, I immediately knew I wanted to go there. I loved the coach, the campus and all of the facilities.”
Jones has been a stalwart in the SJ-O lineup, starting with her sophomore season. (Her freshman year was non-existent due to COVID-19).
As a junior at SJ-O, she batted .496 with 56 hits in 113 at-bats. She stole 26 bases and also had 13 doubles, three triples and four home runs for a 25-9-1 team.
The communication from Jefferson helped Jones get through a challenging time as she pursued her goal of playing in college.
“The recruiting process for me was very difficult,” she said. “I was new to it and really had no clue where to start.
“I hadn’t been to a lot of camps and then COVID hit, and it made it even more difficult.”
In addition to Heartland, Jones visited Danville Area Community College and Lewis University. She also checked out the University of Illinois campus, but preferred to begin her college career at a smaller school.
“I was hesitant about starting at a D1 school, so I knew I wanted to start at the JUCO level,” Jones said. “I felt Heartland was a great choice.”
Her intended major was another factor in her choice.
“I want to major in nursing and I want to end up being a Nurse Practitioner,” Jones said. “This is another reason I felt JUCO was a better option for me.”
Helping to cement her decision is that Dwight’s Erin Anderson, one of her teammates from the Peoria Sluggers travel team, will also be attending Heartland in 2023.
Jones and Anderson will be roommates.
Jones said her August commitment wasn’t premature and she saw no reason to wait for a possible scholarship offer from other schools in the future.
“I wasn’t concerned about that because committing to Heartland filled all of my wants,” she said. “I’m still close to home, but not too close.
“Bloomington is a college town. I love the coach, and I’m going to get to live with my best friend.”
Jones started her travel career as an 8-year-old, playing locally with the St. Joseph Aces.
“I played on that team with most of the girls from my area,” she said. “From the time I was 8 to about 13, I played with the same group of girls.
“After the Aces, we moved to the Central Illinois Diamonds, and after that we played for the Mid-State Blaze.”
Prior to her first year in the 14-and-under age division, Jones made one final move.
“When I got to 14u, I decided I wanted to play at a higher level and set my goal for college,” she said. “I decided to play for the Peoria Sluggers. I’ve been there ever since.
“When I made the move over to Peoria, I knew that my end goal was college ball. It started when I was about 14.”
Jones is excited about the next chapter in her life, which will happen following one final season with SJ-O.
“I see myself fitting in well,” she said. “Heartland has great athletes and great coaches.
“I cannot wait to see where I match up with this team.”
Though she is primarily an infielder, Jones has also played in the outfield and pitched.
The distance between Normal and St. Joseph was a consideration as she evaluated colleges. The communities are located about 65 miles apart.
“I cannot wait to be out on my own and only being an hour away,” Jones said. “I think my transition won’t be too bad.”
