PRESS RELEASE: APRIL 6, 2026

Coach Jones hits new Vikings record for baseball wins

SJR State head baseball coach Ross Jones and longtime Vikings coach and mentor John Tindall.

St. Johns River State College head baseball coach Ross Jones surpassed longtime Vikings coach and mentor John Tindall for wins with the baseball program.

Tindall, for whom the Palatka campus ball field is named, saw 593 wins during his 30 years of coaching (1963 – 1993) at SJR State. Jones, who has coached the Vikings since 2008, made his 594th win Friday with a win over FSCJ.

Jones credits the 18 years of student-athletes for the achievement. “It says more about the players than it does about me,” Jones said. “I’m not the one on the field making the plays.”

Although Jones did not play for Tindall, he said he spent his youth watching him coach the Vikings and developed a close relationship with him that remains today.

Jones’ career at SJR State includes three consecutive Mid-Florida Conference Championships, nine trips to the FCSAA State/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament, and two trips to the NJCAA D2 World Series in Enid, Oklahoma.

In 1961, the Vikings took the field for the first time and have since dedicated the past half century to building a solid reputation for producing superior student-athletes. The College has continued its tradition of producing a strong baseball program with facility improvements including a covered practice facility, dugout, field renovations, and new grandstands.

St. Johns River State College head baseball coach Ross Jones, who has coached the Vikings since 2008, earned his 594th win April 3 against FSCJ.