MACON, Ga. — A Macon baseball team is making history Monday, but it's for something they're doing OFF the field.
"There wasn't a ton of women that I saw growing up that were able to be on field working with guys and working in baseball," said Kianna Jones.
She's a softball player with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, but this season she's joining the Macon Bacon team to coach the guys. It's a first in Coastal Plain League history.
"I originally applied to be a gameday intern and then when I talked to Kevin and Brandon, we got into the idea of having me on field, working with analytics, scouting reports and having the chance to work with player development as well," said Jones.
"We are at a point quite honestly where we are looking past gender, race or anything like that and if she knows what she's doing, then she will coach for us. She knows what she's doing," said Macon Bacon marketing manager Ty Van Duyn.
Jones started playing softball at the age of 4, traveled across different states playing her favorite sport, won national championships, and then was recruited to play in the U.S. from Canada early in high school. It turns out making history isn't new for her.
"My senior year that summer, I had the opportunity to go to Worlds with the junior women's national team where we got to make history. We medaled for the first time in Canadian history," explained Jones.
Now, this history maker has goals to inspire other women like herself.
"Having the opportunity to inspire the next generation of young women and female athletes is important," she said.
Jones is only 21 and she's makes her coaching debut for the Macon Bacon on Memorial Day in Forest City.