Jordan Jones remembers walking back into the dugout on the humid day in Conway, South Carolina. He had just given up six runs in the first three innings of Washington’s Regional Final against UCONN. Knowing know of Jones’ pitches were working, Washington’s pitching coach Jason Kelly entrusted Jones to pick each pitch, whatever he felt comfortable with.
Kelly, no stranger to letting his players be themselves and devoting loads of faith into his team, didn’t change his tactics despite Washington being one win away from its first Super Regional.
Fueled by the confidence from his pitching coach, Jones headed back to the mound and allowed just a single hit over the next three innings.