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The times he has managed to get a hit off his brother are precious, so the memory of each at-bat are pristine in Josh Rose's mind.
Once when he was batting against Jayson, his younger sibling by a year, Josh slugged a triple. The next batter's first pitch was a 93 mile-per-hour fastball to the shoulder.
Jayson Rose never pouted, never shot up his fists in anger. After the game, they shook hands and Jayson told him, "Good job." But beneath the stoic exterior, Josh could feel the flames rising.
"I think he was definitely mad that I got one on him," Josh said. "When it comes to baseball, he's really focused in to perform well and to get a win."
Most opposing hitters haven't grown up with Jayson Rose, so it's a lot harder for them to read the Ute freshman's tells.
What is he thinking under that ball cap? It's hard to know. Rose keeps the same attitude whether he's notched his first strikeout or his 11th — a feat he accomplished Sunday against a Cal lineup ranked fourth in the Pac-12 in batting average.
Rose's composure, rarely broken, is a big reason Utah's third starter is making quick progress in his first year with the program. Coach Bill Kinneberg said he knew the 5-foot-11 Anaheim, Calif., native would be a "gem" when he saw Jayson Rose pitch his junior and senior years after recruiting Josh Rose. Pro scouts were interested, but his 5-foot-11 height might have brought down his stock.
It might be a bit of a surprise, however, that Jayson Rose leads the team in ERA (4.00) and strikeouts (32), and is coming off a Pac-12 pitcher of the week performance. Kinneberg said he had a "good feeling" about Jayson Rose's matchup on Sunday against the Golden Bears, who rocked the Utes for 25 total runs on Friday and Saturday. The righty's changeup, his out pitch, kept Cal's hitters off-balance.
"His location was spot-on," Kinneberg said. "Once he established that changeup, he was able to go to his fastball a little more. He got better as the game went on."
Eventually, senior Brock Duke finished a 3-2 win for Utah with six more strikeouts. The 17 combined strikeouts in a game stands as one of Utah's better pitching performances.
If Jayson is excited about his best college game so far, he's not showing it. He opens up the more he knows teammates, but he tends to be a soft-spoken guy. He looked more nervous conducting a postgame TV interview Sunday than at any point on the mound.
Jayson Rose is not going to spend the week giving himself a pat on the back for throwing a good game last weekend when Arizona State looms.
"You've got to stay right in the middle," he said. "Can't be too high, can't be too low."
To be clear, there are lows: Jayson Rose got roughed up a bit against Oklahoma State and UCLA this year, and he took another loss in a game against Nicholls State, in which he tallied eight strikeouts. He is tied for team lead in home runs allowed and hit batsmen.
But Jayson, and the rest of the Utah freshman class that has found ways to contribute this year, is adding to a sense of optimism in the program. The Utes have started 3-6 in Pac-12 play, which is good for seventh in the league.
Last season's 4-26 conference record is within reach, and while Utah's team ERA and fielding percentage are lagging, its offensive output has improved. If Utah can get a few more ace performances out of guys like Jayson Rose, they will be competitive in spurts.
"People don't believe me because the record doesn't show it, but we're a better baseball team now than we were in the Mountain West," Kinneberg said. "We have some really good talent, and we're playing better teams. It doesn't always look like it, but we've improved as a program."
At least for Jayson Rose, being hard to read has never been a bad thing.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Jayson Rose
• Leads team in ERA (4.00) and strikeouts (32)
• Has a 2-3 record, with wins over Kansas and California
• Set career high with 11 strikeouts against Golden Bears —
Utah vs. No. 6 Arizona State
P At Smith's Ballpark
Thursday, 6 p.m.; Friday, 6 p.m.; Saturday, 5 p.m.