Summer catch for Jones?
June 20th, 2008, 4:25 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Dan Zeiger
Michael Jones gets a high-five from ASU teammate Ike Davis after hitting a home run against Oklahoma during the 2008 NCAA tournament. (Darryl Webb/Tribune)
Arizona State football coach Dennis Erickson does not relish the thought of his most experienced wide receiver playing minor-league baseball, but he will allow Michael Jones to pursue his diamond dreams.
Jones, an outfielder, was drafted in the 29th round by the New York Yankees earlier this month. He recently told PinstripesPlus.com that he “hopes to get started right away and get into the Yankees’ organization.”
An NFL prospect, Jones can still play college football if he signs a pro baseball contract.
“We’ve talked about it,” Erickson said. “Obviously, there is a chance for him to make a little money. We should know something in the next week or so.”
Since his arrival as coach in December 2006, Erickson has been fine with Jones playing baseball for the Sun Devils. In three years, Jones has played in 94 games (34 starts), batting .225 (21-for-93) with a home run and 11 RBIs.
Erickson, however, is not as enthusiastic about Jones living the minor-league life, far away from Tempe, with a football season looming.
“But you have to let him do what he feels is best for him and his future,” Erickson said.
In 2007, playing minor-league baseball during the summer did not affect Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon once the season started. He was the Heisman Trophy front-runner and had the Ducks on the brink of the Bowl Championship Series title contest until suffering a season-ending knee injury in the 10th game.
The 6-foot-4, 203-pound Jones has 70 receptions for 1,109 yards and 13 touchdowns in three football seasons at ASU.
In other football matters, Erickson has been pleased with the progress of quarterback Rudy Carpenter, who had surgery on his right (throwing) thumb after spring practice.
“He’s close to 100 percent, a lot better than he was at the end of the year,” Erickson said. “He’s got more mobility, and he told me that he’s throwing the ball really well. He’ll only get better as the summer goes on.”
Many players are currently taking part in on-field, non-pads workouts that, per NCAA rules, cannot be attended by coaches.
Erickson is not concerned about the tight end position after the departure of projected starter Dane Guthrie, believed to be due to academics, and backup Lance Evbuomwan.
The training-camp competition figures to be wide open, with returnees Andrew Pettes, Jovon Williams and Dan Knapp and junior-college transfer Stanley Malamala leading the pursuit. ASU also signed incoming freshmen Steven Figueroa and Toa Tuitea (who might play defensive end).
In 2007, Pettes and Williams had one catch each, and Knapp redshirted.
“I still like what we have,” Erickson said. “Jovon, Pettes and Knapp have shown what they can do, and we brought Stanley in because we think he adds something for us. We kind of expected the thing with Guthrie might happen, so we weren’t off-guard.”
The Sun Devils plan to utilize more four- and five-receiver packages in the fall, meaning that a tight end will not be on the field as much.
There have been no position changes since the end of spring drills.
The Oct. 5, 2013, game between ASU and Notre Dame at the Dallas Cowboys’ new facility in Arlington, Texas, will be broadcast nationally and in prime time.
As part of the contract extension through 2015 reached between NBC and Notre Dame on Thursday, the Fighting Irish’s annual off-site home game (beginning in 2009) will kick off at night, presumably at 8 p.m. Eastern time. The ASU game is one of three off-site dates confirmed; Notre Dame plays Washington State in San Antonio in ’09 and Army in Chicago in ’10.