Nine Jones College Baseball Players Sign with Four-Year Schools
ELLISVILLE — Nine players from Jones College’s 2026 NJCAA Region 23 Baseball Championship team have committed to four-year colleges. The signees helped lead the Bobcats to a 41-18 record and their first national tournament appearance since 2016, according to school officials.
Of the 11 sophomores on this year’s roster, eight signed with four-year programs. Head coach Wes Thigpen has seen a total of 43 players move on to four-year schools during his six-year tenure, including 30 over the past three seasons, the school said.
Pitcher Colton Smith is headed to Louisiana Tech. The Bossier City, Louisiana, native earned Second Team All-MACCC honors and finished 2025 with an 11-3 record, five complete games, a 3.29 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 109.1 innings. He also won all three of his postseason starts, helping Jones reach the NJCAA Division II World Series.
Chase Russell signed with Louisiana-Monroe. The outfielder and pitcher batted .371 with 15 home runs, 63 runs scored and a .701 slugging percentage. He also posted 14 doubles and 70 RBIs, and compiled a 4-2 record with one save on the mound.
Caden Freeman will continue at Delta State. The right-hander pitched 41 innings during his two seasons at Jones, with a 0.79 ERA as a freshman. Drew Lambert signed with Charleston Southern after a sophomore season that included 61 innings pitched, 64 strikeouts and three complete games. Dylan Champagne, a versatile player, will attend Oklahoma after batting .384 with 78 hits and 21 doubles as a freshman. He also played multiple positions and stole 11 bases.
Walker Long and Talan Theriot are transferring to William Carey. Long contributed behind the plate and at first base, with a perfect fielding percentage, while Theriot, who appeared in more than 100 games at Jones, posted a .305 batting average and stole 21 bases. Chesley Rhodes signed with Belhaven University as a reserve outfielder, maintaining a perfect fielding percentage throughout his career.
Jones College officials noted that these nine players are among many who have advanced to four-year programs, highlighting the school’s success in developing student-athletes for the next level.
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