Abilene-area high school coaches hopeful for chance to finish spring sports

For less than four days, coaches and athletes around the state had to grapple with the thought of losing two weeks' worth of games. It was unimaginable.

When the UIL extended the postponement to at least May 4, the shock grew exponentially.

Now, coaches of spring sports are doing their best to keep morale up — both theirs and the players — while holding out hope the season will go on despite the global coronavirus pandemic.

"When they made that push back to May 4, you didn't lose confidence the season won't happen, but it kind of hits you a little bit," Albany baseball coach David Fairchild said. "We're kind of unstable with what's going to happen right now."

Midseason form put on pause

Fairchild led the Lions to the Class 2A state tournament last season. Albany, ranked No. 4 by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association, was 7-0 when UIL suspended all activities and practice March 16.

Whether they'll get a chance to play for a return trip to Round Rock is in the air. After initially placing a two-week hold on activities, the UIL announced March 19 the hiatus will run through at least May 4.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Texas has risen since, including the first confirmed cases in Abilene on Thursday.

"I know the UIL's working super hard to try to salvage as much as of the spring seasons as possible," Wylie softball coach Heather Collier said. "They always try to do what's best for coaches and kids. I'm always hopeful. I'm a pretty optimistic person... I'm hoping things will settle down in the next week or two, but we just can't tell.

"I think it's everybody's best interest to do what's asked of us: Stay home and just make the best of the situation as you can."

Like Fairchild, Collier felt her Lady Bulldogs (14-3) were coming into form when the season was paused. Wylie, in its first year in 5A, reached the region semifinals in 2019. The team was getting ready to start district play.

Abilene High softball (16-4) was undefeated three games into District 3-6A action. The 17th-ranked Lady Eagles and coach Jim Reese are also awaiting what's next.

"It is definitely surreal," Reese said. "I've never experienced it before, ever, in my whole life... It's very sad in a sense, because the girls are really playing well and you don't want them to lose the season."

Cooper softball coach Stacey Herring's team also reloads after going into the final week of the regular season last season with a chance to win a district title. The Lady Coogs, 4-0 in official games this season, including 1-0 in District 4-5A, can score runs in a hurry while getting solid pitching. 

While teams can’t practice together during the suspension of play, Herring keeps in touch with her players and gives them workouts plans, plus some encouragement.

“I’m staying encouraging, staying positive," Herring said. "We’re still here. We still plan on playing.”

Trying to stay ready

There's no telling what a season resuming May 4 would look like. Coaches can only speculate until they hear otherwise from the UIL. Under normal circumstances, the baseball and softball playoffs would be underway that week.

Still, with hope in mind, coaches are encouraging their athletes to stay mentally and physically engaged in their sports. Hawley baseball coach Jamie Seago remains ready, too.

"I'm still maintaining the field," he said, "just in case we did get that call that we'd get to come back."

Seago said he feels most for the seniors going through this.

"Those are probably the ones that are hardest to talk to right now," he said. "This was supposed to be their turn, you know? Here we are paused."

Being separated from the players has been the hardest part, Collier said.

"I just miss them," she said. "The education business is a people business. So, if you can't be with your people, it's hard."

Cooper baseball coach Cody Salyers also hopes the season resumes so his seniors can finish out the season.

“More than anything, just for the seniors and even the juniors and everyone else,” Salyers said. “This is a big time for a lot of kids who are wanting their careers to continue in college. And if they don’t have something set, it puts them in a spot. The kids who know they’re going to play in college, this is their last run at it. That’s my big deal, just feeling bad for them. Ultimately, as long as I want to keep coaching, I’ll get another season. But they don’t it back.”

Not that the downtime away from the baseball field isn’t hard on Salyers.

“I hate it for me, too,” Salyers said. “This is the time of year I look forward to. It is what it is. It’s given me for the first time in 15 years or so somewhat of a spring break with my family. I’m just trying to enjoy the time with my kids. Everything will start back up at some point. We just don’t know when.”

Huckabay awaits first baseball game

One Big Country baseball team hadn't even got its season going.

Huckabay, a Class 1A school about 10 miles northwest of Stephenville, was launching its program this year but never competed in a game. The 19-member co-ed squad had been practicing for a couple weeks under head coach and high school principal Wes Corzine. The Indians were supposed to start their season March 24 against Santo's JV.

"Kids were so excited," Corzine said. "They had uniforms, hats. Everybody was really looking forward to it."

Huckabay didn't have many games on the schedule — about seven, with some pending. But the team is hoping to get at least one. That's a feeling shared across programs of all ages.

"It wouldn't matter what the season looked like, I'd be happy as can be," Fairchild said. "I'd be excited for our kids. Whatever the UIL decides to do, being given the opportunity to get back on the baseball field would be a great deal."

Coaches react to May 4 projected return amid growing coronavirus outbreak

► Heather Collier, Wylie softball

"I really hope, at the least, that we get whatever we can have left at this point. Even if it's a week... We will take whatever we are able to have in a safe environment... They are at the point that whatever could be offered that they would be very thankful for it. And I think this helps all of us not take for granted the extra curricular things that we're able to do. I think it puts everything in perspective."

► Wes Corzine, Huckabay baseball

"To be honest with you, I'd be really surprised if there's any spring sports this year. Just with the way things are, the cases that are still continuing to increase in the state of Texas. I'd be really surprised if we're able to play anything this spring."

► David Fairchild, Albany baseball

"Obviously I know that safety's the most important thing right now for all the kids and for our state. I think the UIL will make the right decision that's best for everybody."

"All we can do is have a positive attitude and hope it does (resume May 4). But we've just got to see what the virus is going to do. It's something that we can't determine right now... It could be a good year, come back and play, or it could be tough."

► Jim Reese, Abilene High softball

"I'm hopeful, but I'm also realistic. It sure would be nice. Probably worried that this whole epidemic's going to get worse before it gets better. I hope we're two weeks away, three weeks away. We may be two months away. Not holding my breath, just hopeful."

"It kind of reminds you of what our grandparents went through with polio and World War I or World War II. There tends to be crisis that defines reality that's way more important than athletics. It's not a lesson we want to learn, but it's something that reality forces us to see.

"Our girls have been great. They're flexible and hoping we can finish. But I think they also are more worried about their families and making sure everybody is healthy."

► Jamie Seago, Hawley baseball

"In my heart, I've got to believe (games will resume May 4). I want to believe it. In all honesty, with the NCAA shutting down, Major League Baseball postponing now, I think it's going to be hard for the UIL to maybe justify us starting back up... Right now all I can do in my heart as a baseball coach is say, 'Yeah, we're going to start back up May 4.'"