“At least we are playing”

Coach Luke Haney prepares for baseball season amid COVID-19

 How is the baseball team going to be this year? Is there going to be a season? Fall season or just spring season? What are some affects that COVID will have on the season? These are questions we all have! 

Let’s hear from assistant coach Luke Haney and hope he can answer some of these questions. A little about coach Haney, is that he was born and raised in Payson, Utah. He attended Salem High School and was part of a state baseball championship team in 2013. 

He came to Price in 2015 to play baseball and has been here since. He is working on his bachelor’s degree in business. He loves to fish, kayak, camp, be with his family and be on the baseball field.

In the words of Haney, “COVID has made this year interesting already. It will be an extremely unique year, but with almost all trials come great triumph. COVID will change the way we travel and the logistics of our season, but we are still a baseball team and still competitive athletes who can overcome any obstacle.” 

Obviously COVID will have some affects on the team, but all the players are saying, “at least we are playing” so everyone on the team is willing to follow all the rules/guidelines in order to play. 

Haney has high expectations for his team. He says they have a strong core of returning players with a lot of experience as well as an exciting new recruiting class that head coach Kirk Haney, worked hard to bring in. 

Coach Luke is excited for the opportunity to see what his team is capable of. He looks forward to seeing the caliber of athletes he has on the team and how they can learn to work together and be successful. He also looks forward to each one grow as individuals and help better his team and surrounding community. 

The coach’s main goal is to make young men better, in life and in baseball. They strive to have a team of high character and integrity as well as being a force on the diamond. 

A personal goal for Coach Luke is to be present, to be a coach who is always there for his players and long after, and of course, to win.

As far as what the players and coaches are doing in this COVID world, they wipe and sanitize everything each day. Especially in the weight room, after they use a machine, they have to wipe it down. They have to wear masks on the field and can only take them off if they are actively participating in the game or a drill.