The other day I said I support any player who leaves seeking a better fit for academic, personal development, or playing development. Almost all the transferring players do handle it with class. However I hope Jayden Jones falls on her face.

play out. Could be just a bad day and failure to put her brain in gear before her mouth or could be another symptom of a bad fit. We'll see what evidence the rest of her career provides.

"We're extremely excited to welcome Jayden to Stillwater," Gajewski said. "She's a dynamic infielder that can also play in the outfield if needed, who's a left-handed bat that can run with a high softball IQ. I think she will exemplify the Cowgirl Way from day one." I thought she didn't want to play outfield. Must have told him something different.

to make a team? ** Edited by VAHokie89 at 5/31/2025, 2:40:44 AM

That particular quote was taken from a story in her local newspaper. It appears that the storyline was intended to be two sisters reuniting and playing together again so there was absolutely no reason for her to go down that particular path. Yet she did, totaling burning bridges - not only with the coaching staff but also with her former teammates. But it's also not a shock. From the moment she arrived in Blacksburg, I heard rumblings that she was unhappy. The term "entitlement" kept coming up when her name was mentioned. And sadly, she did not endear herself to her teammates - one player recently said that she "was the worst teammate I've had ever had in all the years of playing softball." Another told me that "she never acted like a teammate should act." Were comments a result of a rift between players or in response to the newspaper quite? I don’t know but I will say that in all my years of being involved in VT softball, I've never heard players make such comments about another VT player. I absolutely understand her wanting to play with her sister and it would have been so easy for her to "take the high road." But sadly, she said she wanted to play with "Players with high standards and goals.' That's about as insulting as it gets. We'll see how it turns out. ** Edited by VTChip at 6/1/2025, 11:24:12 PM

I know they won't.. As TSL "reporters" it often feels like there is inside insight that is keep private. I understand thought. Regarding the quote, it COULD have been a generic quote, like I am looking forward to working at OU. I can continue to work toward high standards, etcc.. or whatever the wording is harder to interpret as "she left VT because her teammates and coaches didn't have high goals or didn't coach her hard/well." Anything, even something generic that doesn't imply that, can still be twisted. Just say you want to play with your sister and continue to develop as the best player possible. ** Edited by VAHokie89 at 5/31/2025, 2:46:35 AM

I don't get paid a dime for writing for TSL - I do it simply as a way to promote VT softball. Candidly, it's a very expensive hobby when you consider travel expenses, but I do it as a labor of love. I am a fan first, and somehow, I suppose, I've become a fundraiser second. I basically now write articles only when Sam isn't available or there's a particular story I want to cover. Sam is working toward a writing career and does a great job. I simply fill in as needed. However, over the five years+ that I have written for TSL, I believe I have earned the trust of the players, the coaching staff, and even the parents. I will never compromise that trust and I will only report things that become public though other channels, OR when the subjects involved know I am writing a story. I will, however, adamantly defend any player that is unfairly criticized. Had Jayden simply transferred and said she wanted to play with her sister, I never would have said a word. But when she took her shot at the coaching staff not caring about her as a person and "wanting to be surrounded by girls with high standards and goals," that was crossing the line, IMHO. No one has higher standards and goals than girls who play for VT softball. Thus, I decided to share what I believe to be "the rest of the story." There was absolutely no reason to share anything earlier. Candidly I was hoping everything would get back on track and Jayden would spend four years in Blacksburg. But based on some other posts, it sounds like she made up her mind to transfer earlier in the year, but I didn't know that. Personally, I don't think the reporter for the Petoskey News-Review twisted her words. He has covered her and her sister for years. He was looking for a "feel good" story about hometown sisters reuniting at OK State. Just read the first five paragraphs of his story: "Around a year ago, Gaylord softball stars and sisters Jayden and Aubrey Jones sat down with us at the Gaylord Herald Times for an interview. "The conversation centered about their relationship and their journey as teammates; a journey that was, at the time, coming to a close, as the two nationally-ranked prospects were playing their last high school softball season together before planning to go their separate ways, Jayden taking her talents to Blacksburg, Va. to join the Virginia Tech program while Aubrey planned to join the Oklahoma State team at the conclusion of the 2025 season. "Just talking about the topic, splitting up the dynamic duo they had formed over years and years of training and playing softball together, brought the both of them to tears. While both were confident in their decisions to go down their own paths, they also dreaded the moment they would inevitably stop being teammates. "So, when Jayden announced her plans to leave Va Tech and enter her name in the NCAA transfer portal after her freshman season, it felt like a reunion in Stillwater, Okla. was almost inevitable. Less than a week later, sure enough, Stillwater is making room for another Jones sister on the roster. "Four days after her initial portal announcement, Jones took to social media again on May 24 to announce her plans were finalized, committing to join her sister on the OSU softball team next season." That's a GREAT intro to the story the reporter was seeking. All Jayden had to say at this point was that she wanted to join her sister at OK State. Every reader then says "ahh" and that's the end of it. But instead she elected to take the shot at VT. Totally unnecessary.

He said the groundskeeper for Alabama came over to him at the dugout. Pete wondered what he needed from him. It was to compliment the women for their respectful and positive manner; "Yessir," etc. One of Pete's fondest season memories. He also spoke of hot "catered meals" after games in lieu of "cold subs." I wondered if TSL etal donations made that possible. Warms the heart to think we provide the resources to provide some niceties.

Your meal example is a good one, being able to fly to some away games is another one, and finally the gear the ladies have is another. A parent shared a story with me recently about the huge difference between VT and the other school that they have a daughter at. "The VT girls are really well taken care of."

take a couple of days to process and funds to be transferred, but just a heads’ up.

this at the end of last season and now she is playing on the other side of the country. Players that say these things against their own team is not someone you really want around. It looks to me that this team is very close and support one another on and off the field. The thing is, she started at 2nd base at the beginning of the season as a true freshman and played pretty well for a freshman. If I understand things correctly, she got injured somehow. Never heard what the injury was that took her out of the lineup. Castine eventually made it back, but not at full speed. Eventually, Castine recovered and took over the 2nd base position. Jayden got to pinch hit here and there, but never made it totally back to the lineup. Maybe it was an injury, or maybe it was her attitude which turned the coaches off and she never made it back to the field. Like last season, there was negativity in the dugout and it worked itself out also. Things do happen for a reason! Go Hokies!

. . . much immediately, right? I know Castine was working her way back but seems if she was a bad egg of epic proportions he should have insisted on some correction before writing her name on the lineup card. I think Billy Martin benched Reggie for attitude issues, right? ** Edited by MidloHokie at 5/30/2025, 5:08:32 PM

There were a lot of ups and downs during her time here and everyone kept pulling for her. She had some moments that everyone celebrated and hoped they were turning the corner. But at the end of the day, she elected to leave and trash everyone afterwards. At the end of the day, sometimes things just aren't meant to be.

. . . with OSU. She appeared to be a pretty talented ballplayer.

I'm almost always supportive of a player finding a better fit for themselves. However when a player pees on her former teammates like Jayden did, deserves no such support.

A far cry from Ut Prosim, for sure! When your teammates give you that kind of review, that can’t be good. Best she moved on to where that is tolerated! Not someone I want representing VT!

Youth isn't known for being prudent or wise. To borrow a phrase, gone but forgotten.

softball. He was a hardcore VT fan and Washington Redskins fan. I still use most of his advice today (including never root for UVA FB).

positive start. This may have been the very words used by their coaches when they recruited her. Most coaches probably say this stuff when they recruit. And she was just repeating them. She may not have been thoughtful enough to realize that could be interpreted as implying this was different from her previous team. But, I heard some of the things you did and so it does make it harder to be interested in her future.

"It's a dream come true being able to play with Aubrey again," Jones said. "I didn't know if we'd ever have the chance to be in the same dugout again or on the same field. I never wanted our time playing together to end so I'm grateful God allowed it to work out at the right time."

Everyone would have understood and moved on. Instead, she decided to trash her former coach and teammates. That's not cool.

"Never burn bridges as might have recross them some day"

. . . shabbily at one particular coaching stop. It was totally unexpected as it is probably fair to say that her performance as a player while being coached, in part, by this individual was a primary reason that person got a head coaching job. She simply said goodby and moved on.

all of a week with them.

isn't mature enough to realize how the "compliment" threw her previous program under the bus. Just like she isn't mature enough to be a true team player by playing any position open to her. Few players are truly and exclusively known for the position they play like pitchers are - most are known by what they do with the bat in the lineup. The goal is to get your at-bats any way you can. For the great majority of players their performance when wearing the batting glove is more important than their performance with a fielding glove. Perfect example is Cori McMillan - played 3rd most of her career, comes to VT with Bre solid at 3rd so she takes right field in a totally team-supporting move so she can get her place in the line-up. Bre herself moving to center field when Jordan Lynch makes her mark to be in the starting lineup from fall ball is another totally team-supporting move. And she did that for her senior season! Would anybody doubt the maturity of Bre and Cori from the moment they walked onto the field at VT? How many players in MLB history were moved to 1st base to KEEP THEIR BAT IN THE LINE-UP? The designated hitter in baseball and designated player in softball were adopted to get another BAT INTO THE LINE-UP. Team players play anywhere to GET INTO THE LINE-UP!

** Edited by Hokie-2x at 6/1/2025, 7:40:02 AM

coaching staff.

“My only disappointment for Kelly is that she went to OU, because now she’s lost everything here that she’s ever done. And as long as I’m here, it’ll be hard for her to come back here. That’s just the way it is.” Does Gajewski care about Maxwell as a person?

who I played Little League Baseball with in the mid 50'S?? He later also went to Va. Tech where he was a baseball pitcher. He would be about 81 now. Wonder if he's still alive, and, if so, where he is now. Thanks in advance. B.H.