ANN ARBOR ― Gaylord’s Aubrey Jones will be remembered for a lot of things.
A two-time state champion, a multi-time all-state selection and the 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year, Jones had racked up a long list of accolades in her four-year high school softball career.
Maybe more than anything, she’ll be known as the home run queen.
Jones, along with her teammate Kennedy Wangler, represented GHS at the inaugural Turnin2 High School All-Star Game at the University of Michigan on Monday, June 16, and the future Oklahoma State Cowgirl put on a show during the home run derby, crushing 24 home runs to secure the first-ever home run derby championship.
“I was pretty confident in myself after the first round, having quite a few more than everyone else,” said Jones. “I thought I had a pretty good chance, I just kept doing what I was doing the whole time.”
Jones, with her dad Greg pitching front toss, hit 12 home runs in the first round, securing the first seed into the semifinals. Once she found that groove, the writing was on the wall; Jones put up another 12 HR in the final two rounds, beating out Milford’s Marisa Merz in the finals to secure the first-ever HR Derby title.
The moment, not just winning but sharing it with her father, was a special cap to their long journey together.
“It was super special, especially since he’s been pitching to me since I was five-years-old. There’s a lot of comfort there,” said Jones. “It’s another great memory to have before I go on to the next level.”
Jones finished her career with 72 home runs, second all-time in MHSAA history.
Jones, Stars run it up on Wangler, Stripes
For one final time, Jones and Wangler got to suit up and take the field together.
Just on opposite teams.
Jones, the starting shortstop for the Stars, and Wangler, the starting first baseman for the Stripes, represented GHS one final time in the Inaugural All-Star game, with Jones and a star-studded Stars team running up a 14-1 victory over Wangler and the Stripes.
Like always, Jones swung a hot bat, driving in two runs on a double in the left-center gap as part of a seven-run fourth inning that broke the game open for the Stars. She also singled and struck out one batter in a scoreless inning in the circle.
Wangler may have had the hardest hit ball of the game that didn’t result in a hit, a hard one-hopper that Jones corralled at shortstop.
“It was funny, I was just trying to hit it anywhere but at here because I just knew she was going to get me out,” said Wangler.
Both are headed to play at the college level, with Jones headed to join her sister Jayden at Oklahoma State while Wangler will join her sister Addison at Ferris State.
Contact GHT Sports Editor Dylan Jespersen at Djespersen@gaylordheraldtimes.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @dylanjespersen, and Instagram, @dylanjespersen
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Aubrey Jones wins home run derby, joins Kennedy Wangler at Michigan Softball All-star game
Reporting by Dylan Jespersen, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
