The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced the signing of catcher/ utility player, Aaron Jones and infielder, Aaron Payne, today for the 2011 season.
The two are both freshmen at the University of Oregon, and traveled to Oregon from San Clemente High School (San Clemente, CA), where they played High School ball together. Jones is on the roster as a catcher, but has played significant time in the outfield at Oregon.
Jones, the opening day right fielder, and lead-off man for the Ducks, is batting .318 in the early parts of the campaign, with two homeruns, six RBI and 14 hits, all team highs. The closest Ducks in hits have nine on the season. Jones also boasts a .545 slugging percentage.
Jones had many notable accolades in high school, including being named the South Coast League Co-MVP, and set a school record with nine homeruns and 36 games. His superior senior season led to the Boston Red Sox drafting him in the 38th round of the 2010 Amateur Players draft. He is also the brother of former Rochester Honker, Chris Jones who played for the 2006 Championship Team.
Payne has yet to see the field this season, but shows a lot of promise with his high school stats. As a senior, Payne hit .419 and led the team in doubles with 18, and runs scored with 31.
The Duck Duo both played in the Orange County All-Star game, and were chosen for the first team All-South Coast League.
The Rochester Honkers 18th season begins on June 1st when they travel to Mankato, MN for a 7:05pm start.