Living the dream: GSU’s Chandler Dawson and Cameron Jones

HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Over the recent years, the Houston County community has produced numerous collegiate baseball players. Several of those players have gone on to play within the Major Leagues. For most athletes, playing professionally is among their biggest dreams. For others, the dreams become endless. When does an athlete know to hang it up? How long does it take for young athletes to decide that he or she, no longer live their “biggest dream”?

What causes athletes to pivot and create new fulfillments? In this series of the Living the dream edition, you will read about familiar names. Why? A couple of Houston County natives are currently “living the dream”.

Cameron Jones, and Chandler Dawson are “living the dream”. Though, they are both collegiate baseball players, the dream is still alive. Cameron Jones is a sophomore and Chandler Dawson is an upperclassman, which attend Georgia State University, in Atlanta. Cameron Jones is the left-handed pitcher and outfielder from Kathleen. Cameron is the brother of former Georgia State shortstop, Justin Jones. Cameron’s brother Justin played professionally with the Los Angeles Angels system.

While at Georgia State, Jones is a two-time first-team all conference selection and one of America’s best two-way baseball players.

Jones is only the second player in Georgia State history to earn first-team All-Sun Belt honors, more than once. In his career as a Panther, Cameron Jones has a batting average of .344, alongside six home runs and forty-five runs batted-in. The young athlete has an era of 4.34 and five career wins, on the mound.

In 2022, Cameron Jones was one of five finalists for the John Olerud two-way player-of the- year award. Jones led the Panthers in team batting average and total era. Also this season, Cameron Jones had fourteen doubles, thirty-one runs batted-in, twelve stolen bases, and forty homers and helped his team finish on a nine game winning streak.

Chandler Dawson is a right-handed pitcher from “War-Town”. The 6’1 sophomore has a career record of 6-6, while at Georgia State. Dawson made fourteen appearances and nine starts, in 2022. Also in 2022, Dawson finished with a 2-4 record and 4.60 era.

Chandler Dawson began the 2022 season in the rotation, before moving into the bullpen. In a win over Purdue-Fort Wayne, Dawson only allowed three hits and struck out four batters. Chandler Dawson has been awarded the Sun Belt conference Honor Roll, Dean’s list and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.

Cameron Jones and Chandler Dawson is both Houston County High School alumnus, who were also top-100 players in Georgia, according to Perfect Game. Both Dawson and Jones are products of coach Matt Hopkins and the Houston Bears.

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