ETV News stock photo by Jeff Barrett
The Panthers are ready to take the field with first-year coach Ray Jones. There are plenty of nuances for every new coach, but playing amid the pandemic only provides more wrinkles. “I’ve got to learn on the fly and do the best that I can to put these young men in the best position to have a successful season.” Jones added with a chuckle, “I like to say, ‘sometimes you have to fix the plane while it’s in the air’ … Life’s full of challenges man, you’re either going to wine or climb.”
One thing that will help matters is that Pinnacle is bringing back a good number of returners from last year. “We look big. We’re strong. We’re not super young, so that’s good. We’ve got some guys coming back with experience,” stated Jones. “We’ve got a nice little team.”
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the team is its pitching staff. “All of them are solid,” commented Jones. “They throw all different styles, which is really unique.” He continued, “[Our opponents] might hit off one [of our pitchers], but then we can throw someone else in there and give [the hitters] something completely different to look at.” If the Panthers are able to keep hitters guessing and off balance, they should find success.
One focal point for Pinnacle could be finding consistency at the plate. “That’s going to be the biggest part for us is just getting the bat on the ball,” Jones said. “I think when we get our batting lineup set, we can really crush that ball. We’re also very quick as well, so I think we can do some damage stealing too. I think we have a few weapons we can go with.”
The 1A South Region will feature stiff competition for the Panthers, including Green River, Valley and Wayne. Wayne won the region last year and lost in the semifinals to the eventual state championship team, Piute.
Jones and his crew will not look too far ahead, however, choosing to stay focused on the present. “[We] are trying to take it game by game right now and focus on making the right plays and doing the things it takes to win,” he said. “The mission always stays the same: we want to win as many games as possible.”
Pinnacle will lean on its experience and diverse pitching staff and continue to focus on the day-to-day approach in hopes of furthering its success this season. “We’ve got a great group of kids,” concluded Jones. “I’m excited about the guys we’ve got.”