HEAD COACH BRIAN JONES

Entering his 14th season as the Jesuit Dallas baseball head coach, Brian Jones has anchored a resurgence for Jesuit Dallas that included the program’s first University Interscholastic League (UIL) 6A State Championship in 2016. Jones enters the 2023 season with a 324-103-9 record as the Rangers’ head coach, an overall record of 489-206-9, and a 138-14-0 record against district opponents.

In 2022, Jesuit Dallas advanced to the postseason for the 12th consecutive year, capturing its 11th straight bi-district championship with a two-game series sweep over against Arlington and finishing the year with a 23-9 record. The 2021 season saw the Rangers go undefeated in District 7-6A, capturing the eighth district title under Jones. Jesuit’s baseball team was led by Jordan Lawlar ’21, who became the third player under the tutelage of Coach Jones to be named Gatorade Texas Player of the Year before being selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the sixth overall pick of the 2022 Major League Baseball (MLB) Amateur Draft.

In 2016, Jones led Jesuit to a 36-8-2 record and the UIL state title with a 6-2 victory over San Antonio Johnson on June 11. The historic win marked the first baseball state championship for a private institution at any level of the UIL. Jones concluded the season by earning USA Today/ Family Insurance and Texas Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Texas Coach of the Year honors, and was named District Coach of the Year for the seventh time.

The Rangers’ 2016 lineup was anchored by Kyle Muller ’16, the consensus National Player of the Year. Muller was drafted by the Atlanta Braves with the 44th pick of the MLB Amateur Draft and made his major league debut against the Boston Red Sox on June 16, 2021.

Jones led the Rangers to their first state tournament appearance in team history during the 2015 season, a year that saw the Blue and Gold finish with a 35-4-2 record, a 14-0 mark in district play, and a No. 3 national ranking heading into the state tournament. A 13-1 win over MacArthur marked a personal milestone for Jones on April 26, 2015, as he captured his 300th victory as a baseball head coach. Jones would add his 400th career victory on Friday, May 11, 2018 with a 5-4 win over Oak Ridge in the UIL Area Round.

The impressive list of players that have competed under the leadership of Coach Jones include numerous NCAA Division I players and a breakout star in MLB. Jones coached 2011 Gatorade Texas Player of the Year and current Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell ’11, who would be drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second round of the MLB Amateur Draft with the No. 61 pick and finish third in the National League Rookie of the Year vote after breaking the National League record for most home runs by a switch-hitting rookie.

Jones enjoyed success on the diamond from a young age, as he was a member of the AABC Sandy Koufax National Champions in 1982. Attending W.T. White High School, Jones was a four-time first-team all-district pick, received Dallas Morning News Sophomore of the Year honors and was the area’s leading hitter as a junior. He attended Northwood University, where he was picked to play in the 1989 Junior College All-Star game.

A member of the American Baseball Coaches Association, Texas High School Coaches Association and United Baseball Club. Jones is a former president of the North Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association and was voted the regional director for the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association (THSBCA) in January of 2016. Jones is the father of two boys: Tyler and Tanner.

COACH JONES YEAR-BY-YEAR JESUIT DALLAS RECORDS & TEAM ACCOLADES

Gatorade

Since 2010

TSWA

THSBCA

Current Rangers In College

George Austin 2021 Northeast Texas Junior College

Max Bennison 2022 Spring Hill College

Quinn Bowring 2019 Transylvania University

Connor Chavez 2021 Northeast Texas Junior College

Matthew Cox 2020 California Institute of Tech.

Tommy Delaney 2022 University of Texas at Dallas

Peter Delkus 2018 University of Texas at Dallas

J.T. Ennen 2020 Canisius University

Bijan Kamalipour 2018 Baldwin Wallace University

Garnder Lawrence 2021 New Jersey Institute of Tech.

Nick Lazzara 2021 Trinity University (Tex.)

J.J. Luna 2021 West Texas A&M University

Jack Lynch 2019 Xavier University

Jalon Mack 2020 Southern University

Drew Messick 2021 McLennan Junior College

Ryan Messick 2021 McLennan Junior College

J.T. Mix 2017 Augustana University

J.J. Montenegro 2017 Grayson College

Jacob Palisch 2017 Texas A&M University

Tyson Pointer 2020 University of Texas-Arlington

Tino Ramirez 2020 Regis University (Colo.)

Mark Ready 2017 University of Richmond

Cash Riley 2022 Louisiana State University-Eunice

Jake Storey 2022 University of Northern Colorado

Rangers In The Major Leagues

Rangers In The Pros

Jordan Lawlar 2021 Arizona Diamondbacks (2021 MLB Draft 1st round pick; 6th overall); Hillsboro Hops (High-A)

Jack Lynch 2019 St. Louis Cardinals (2023 MLB Draft 18th round pick; 547th overall)

J.T. Mix 2017 Schaumburg Boomers (Frontier League)

Jacob Palisch 2017 Chicago White Sox (2023); Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (High-A)

Kyle Muller 2016 Atlanta Braves (2016 MLB Draft 2nd round pick; 44th overall); Oakland Athletics (2022)

Darius Hill 2015 Chicago Cubs (2019 MLB Draft 20th round pick; 612th overall); Iowa Cubs (AAA)

Nic Ready 2015 Miami Marlins (2019 MLB Draft 23rd round pick; 681nd overall); Beloit Sky Carp (High-A)

Chris Muller 2013 Tampa Bay Rays (2017 MLB Draft 17th round pick; 499th overall); Durham Bulls (AAA)

Josh Bell 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates (2011 MLB Draft 2nd round pick; 61st overall); Washington Nationals (2020-22) San Diego Padres (2022), Cleveland Guardians (2023)

Jacques De Gruy 2010 Philadelphia Phillies (2014, MLB Draft 26th round pick; 772nd overall); GCL Phillies (Rookie)

Matt Shortall 2009 Philadelphia Phillies (2014 MLB Draft 10th round pick; 292nd overall); Williamsport (Low-A)

Kevin Hart 2004 Baltimore Orioles (2004 MLB Draft 11th round pick; 319th overall); Chicago Cubs (2007-09); Pittsburgh Pirates (2009)

Michael Knox 2002 New York Yankees (2002 MLB Draft 27th round pick; 816th overall); Tampa (High-A)

Michael Hollimon 2001 Los Angeles Dodgers (2001 MLB Draft 32nd round pick; 970th overall); Minnesota Twins (2003 MLB Draft 49th round pick; 1448th overall); Detroit Tigers (2008)

Will Rossellini 2000 Arizona Diamondbacks (2000 MLB Draft 16th round pick; 489th overall); Missoula (Rookie)

Jeff Staubach 1997 New York Yankees (Signed as undrafted free agent); Greensboro (A)

Mike Grimes 1986 San Diego Padres (1986 MLB Draft 20th round pick; 508th overall); Oakland A's (1989 MLB Draft 3rd round pick; 86th overall), Central Valley (High-A)