Fairbury High baseball ready for second try at inaugural season

FAIRBURY, NE — The sounds of high school baseball are gracing Quinn Field this spring for the first time ever.

OK, really it’s the second time. Fairbury High School started practice last spring, only to have its inaugural season canceled because of the pandemic. Head Coach Jesse Bauer says he felt for last year’s senior’s.

“The anticipation was building. The last practice we had, it was sleeting down here. That’s how dedicated the boys were," Bauer said. "Then, it was just like, the next Monday we had to turn in our uniforms.”

Junior middle infielder Jacob Martin says this year’s team is just ready to hit the field.

“It sucked because we all wanted to have that be our first year but this is our first year now,” Martin said.

The Jeffs will play their first game Saturday at home against Seward. Players to watch on the team include Martin, senior Brody Kroll and sophomore James Olds. Bauer says the team’s goal is to finish with a winning record. He hopes to have a scrappy team.

“I like a team that can shut people down defensively and I like to see people hit the ball," Bauer said. "If we do those two things and pitch and catch, we should be alright.”

Martin is keeping his goals straightforward, too.

“I want to try to have as little errors as possible and hit in as many runs as I can,” Martin said.

Most players and coaches have experience with Legion ball, but Bauer says it will feel different taking the field as Jeffs.

“I hope these guys know that they’re playing for all the guys that didn’t get to do it," Bauer said. "I think there’s going to be a lot of pride.”

First pitch on Saturday is set for 11:00 a.m.