No keeping up with Jones in Travelers' no-no

Connor Jones hasn't been scored upon for 22 innings spanning his last three starts for Double-A Arkansas. On Thursday, he added unhittable to the mix.

The reigning Texas League Pitcher of the Week made history by delivering a seven-inning no-hitter in the Travelers' 6-0 victory in a doubleheader opener with the visiting Sod Poodles.

"I've come close a couple times, but there's something special about finishing a game off and greeting your catcher at the mound afterwards with no hits," Jones said. "So seven innings or not, it was still really just a special moment."

The right-handed Mariners prospect matched his career high with eight strikeouts while walking three. He's racked up eight whiffs in a game three times, most recently in his previous start for Arkansas against the Naturals.

.@ConnorJones33’s first ever NO HITTER 🗣 pic.twitter.com/ujnviB9KU1

— Arkansas Travelers (@ARTravs) May 27, 2022

Jones retired the first six batters he faced before issuing back-to-back walks in the third. After a strikeout, he got top D-backs prospect Corbin Carroll to ground into a forceout and issued his third base on balls, but got Eduardo Diaz swinging to escape unscathed.

The only difference in Jones' pregame routine was getting to spend time with his fiancee beforehand.

"My fiancee flew into town last night, so we got to spend some time together. It's the first time I've seen her this year," Jones said. "She wouldn't have been able to see me pitch if we didn't get rained out the other night."

Jones (2-2) has been lights-out since Seattle picked him up on April 2 following his March 28 release by St. Louis. The Cardinals drafted him in the second round (70th overall) in 2016.

"The locker room here is electric," Jones said. "They've gotten the music and smoke machines and everything going on in here. Every time we win a game, it's a full blown party, and it's the craziest locker room I've ever been in. We have we have an absolute blast."

Since being picked up by the Mariners, he's worked on tweaking parts of his game with the pitching staff, and he's seen a drastic difference as a result.

"When we signed him and he got to Arkansas, we asked him to make some wholesale changes to his pitch usage," Travelers pitching coach Sean McGrath said. "Asked for him to tweak a couple things that would allow him to become the best version of himself. With that came a little bit of a period of learning and growing, and over these last three outings, and tonight especially, you're kind of seeing the result of all of his hard work."

McGrath had an idea about the type of pitcher he was getting after hearing stories about Jones' college years, and those expectations have been reinforced since the righty joined the pitching staff.

"I learned some of what I've heard from college buddies and people that have coached him or scouted him," McGrath said. "[His play] just kind of confirmed the idea that he is the ultimate competitor [with] this really aggressive, challenge hitters mind-set that really relates to him. And he brings others up with him. So as he's striving to be a better version of himself, he's always conscious and aware of what others goals are."

The 27-year-old Virginia product gave up a run in each of his first four starts for the Travelers, but he's continued to lower his ERA since then, and it now stands at 3.32. He has held opponents to a .192 average after eight starts.

Jones isn't new to the spotlight either. He won a national championship and made two trips to the College World Series with the Cavaliers.