KODAK, Tenn. - After spending most of the summer at the High Class-A level with the South Bend Cubs, former Northwest and Southern Miss ace Jarod Wright is heading a little closer to home.

A native of Arlington, Tenn., Wright will return to the Volunteer State after being promoted to the Tennessee Smokies, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. It is the third stop in two seasons for Wright, who began his Major League journey with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in 2021 and was later promoted to South Bend earlier this season.

While in South Bend, Wright made 15 relief appearances on the mound, tossing 23 strikeouts across 38.2 innings. He compiled a 2-4 record and a 5.85 ERA, earning wins against Beloit on July 2 and Quad Cities on July 24.

Wright signed with the Cubs on May 25, 2021 after a stint in the United Shores Professional Baseball League in 2020. His time in the USPBL came after taking a year off from baseball, but Wright never missed a beat, finishing as the best pitcher on the Westside Woolly Mammoths with a 3.10 ERA and 40 strikeouts. His performance with the Woolly Mammoths earned him a slot in the USPBL All-Star Game.

Wright was selected as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 Frontier League Draft, a league that has also featured former Northwest pitcher Tanner Cable. Shortly after the draft however, the Cubs came calling and Wright immediately joined the franchise's farm system in Mesa, Arizona.

Prior to his stint in the USPBL, Wright spent two seasons at Southern Miss, totaling 38 strikeouts in 34 appearances from 2018-19. As part of a prominent pitching staff, he helped the Golden Eagles to back-to-back Conference USA Tournament championships and two NCAA Baseball Regionals.

Wright spent the 2016-17 seasons at Northwest and served as the team's primary ace, making 31 career appearances and helping the Rangers to back-to-back postseason trips. Wright concluded his career with a 14-9 overall record and tied Chase Ware (2006-07) for third all-time in career wins. He also struck out 129 batters (third all-time) in 28 starts and 162 innings pitched, setting program records for both categories.

Wright is currently one of four Rangers with a major league organization, joining Tampa Bay's Cody Reed, who was taken in the second round of the 2013 MLB Draft. Grant Black (2015) is currently with the Double-A Springfield Cardinals after signing with St. Louis as a free agent in 2019. Former pitcher Peyton Plumlee also remains with the Houston Astros' Low-A affiliate Fayetteville Woodpeckers.

Tennessee is a member of the Double-A Southern League, along with regional teams such as the Biloxi Shuckers and the Pearl-based Mississippi Braves. Currently, the Smokies are 30-26 in the second half of the schedule and second in the North Division. (For the season, Tennessee has compiled a 67-58 overall record.)