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Jones, Tigers start preparing for new season
Josh Jones and the University of West Alabama Tigers will start their preparations to defend their Gulf South Conference Baseball Tournament crown when they open training camp on Monday.
Jones
Jones, who said that he’d spent a great summer vacation, added the Sept. 14 opening of their practice is based on NCAA practice rules requirements.
“I enjoyed the weather and playing a bit of softball and baseball just to stay loose when I head back for school and baseball.”
“Our season starts in the spring. So we use the entire fall season to prepare for the start of the tournament in spring.”
Jones added that they expect a packed schedule of practice this fall as West Alabama baseball coach Gary Rundles had lined them up to a number of exhibition matches.
“For the fall, we will be having exhibition matches against Junior College teams. After that we will split our team in half and play each other in a best of seven game series,” Jones told Saipan Tribune.
“As of right now, the pitchers are working out together and the position players have their own thing,” added the former Saipan Little League standout.
The Tigers also welcomed Dan Holcomb as their new pitching coach this summer following the resignation of Nick McCurdy after the 2015 season.
Jones helped UWA clinch the GSC baseball crown after tossing 5.2 innings in start in the Tigers’ 8-4 finals win over the Delta State University Statesmen.
It was the Tigers’ second title after also clinching the regular season crown when they swept all of their four games in the GSC tournament. It was also UWA’s third overall GSC trophy and first since 2005.
Jones, in the finals game, surrendered four earned runs but held the Statesmen to two hits before being relieved by winning pitcher Brandon Pennington in the bottom of the sixth.
The lefty pitcher, who joined three of his teammates in the 2015 GSC All-Tournament Team, also retired two and walked three.
Jones’ efforts earned him praise from Rundles. “Jones showed what kind of competitor he is. He could pitch in the weekend rotation anywhere in this league. But he accepted his role this year and got us big with midweek wins.”
