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Fremont High's Chase Jones delivers a pitch during the U.S. Army Rivalry Classic vs. Roy at home on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Plain City.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Right to left: A U.S. Army officer presents Fremont High's Chase Jones (13), Jace Hadley (3), Owen Simkins (1), and Brant Koford (5) with the game trophy following Fremont's 13-6 win over Roy in the U.S. Army Rivalry Classic on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Plain City.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Fremont High's Chase Jones delivers a pitch during the U.S. Army Rivalry Classic vs. Roy at home on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Plain City.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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Fremont High's Chase Jones (13), Jace Hadley (3), Owen Simkins (1), and Brant Koford (5) pose with a U.S. Army officer and the U.S. Army Rivalry Classic trophy following a 13-6 win over Roy at home Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Plain City.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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PLAIN CITY — As a sophomore, Fremont High’s Chase Jones once threw a knuckle ball during his first season on the bump. His pitch slammed into the backstop and Jones quickly removed such an erratic ball from his register.

“That was a bad idea,” Jones said.

Now a senior and full-time starter in the rotation, Jones (3-1) still shows that same nerve as one of Region 1’s toughest pitchers.

Jones picked up his third win Thursday as Fremont topped Roy 13-6 in the fourth-ever U.S. Army Rivalry Classic, an annual meeting between the local non-region foes first organized by Royals coach Monty Vorwaller and Fremont coach Garrett Clark in 2021.

Roy senior Jack Sorensen let six runs pass in just one inning of work. Jones, dealing four strikeouts in his outing, let in two runs and three walks on three hits before Brant Koford (1.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 1 K) relieved his fellow senior with Fremont leading up four in the top of the fourth inning.

The Silverwolves (6-3) tallied seven runs, including three RBIs by senior second baseman Owen Simkins, to Roy’s (7-3) four by the end of the sixth. Stepping up as the closer, sophomore Tad Grange (2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K) preserved the win for Jones.

“I think we have one of the best pitching rooms,” Simkins said. “Chase, he’s our guy and we have full confidence in him against any team. We’re going to keep riding him out and backing him up.”

Jones (3.15 ERA) finished March as one of the state’s top-3 strikeout dealers, landing a spot on the Standard-Examiner’s latest prep baseball names-to-watch list. The offseason saw Jones grow confident in delivering his curveball, changeup and the senior right-hander’s coveted fastball.

Perhaps the biggest change, however, is Jones quite literally being himself when stepping on the field.

“I learned this thing before the season talking about the difference between playing baseball and performing baseball,” Jones said. “You can definitely feel a feeling when you’re trying to ‘perform it.’ It’s not that fun. But when you play baseball, you have a lot more fun (and) no worries.

“I like all my pitches now.”

In four starts, Jones allowed no more than seven hits and four runs; Jones dealt a season-high 10 strikeouts in pushing Fremont toward a 5-3 win over Copper Hills on March 21. That victory saw Jones and Simkins record decisive ninth-inning RBIs in West Jordan.

Simkins, tied with Jones and Kurt Dahl for the team’s second-most RBIs (8), is beginning to wear his nerve on his sleeve, too.

“(Clark) told me I’m good in the early count and being aggressive so that’s what I try to focus on getting that early fastball and not getting two strikes on me,” Simkins said.

Jones, Simkins and the Silverwolves are looking to sustain the trust built through its non-region slate as the Region 1 calendar arrives with a three-game series with Farmington set for April 8.

Connect with sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.