During the final weeks of high school baseball an off-duty umpire seated in the stands expressed a certain amount of criticism directed towards Farmington coach Jay Harper.
To understand Harper's coaching style, one must distinguish the difference between anger and intensity. Harper is not "always mad," as the official alleged but for the duration of any contest in which he has a vested interest (including as a fan supporting his daughter Callie's softball games) Harper remains intense because he cares so deeply about the athletes involved. Fans relate to Harper's desire to have athletes he coaches be given equal opportunity to compete.
The 2015 baseball season was tough on Harper. Farmington lost six seniors to graduation from the 2014 roster plus moved up in classification to begin competing as a member of the 5A West. Harper played six sophomores and added senior Kentrell Blackburn, who had not played baseball his first three years of high school but came to Harper asking if he could try out for the baseball team finding a coach willing to grant the experience.
"He's a super kid. He did a great job of filling in and being a base runner for us. If he had been here three years before I think he would have been an outstanding player for us," Harper said. "He's a really good leader in the dugout keeping enthusiasm going."
With the new conference came a new format. No longer were the Cardinals playing a junior varsity game after each conference contest. Instead, 5A West teams played double-headers on Tuesdays and Fridays. This format became a challenge when Farmington's second pitcher, sophomore Tyler Gregg, was unable to throw due to injury.
"We have one really good arm in senior Keaton Austin," Harper said early in the season. "Our No. 2 guy is hurt. Tyler Gregg, our sophomore pitcher needs Tommy Johns surgery."
"This year will be different for our kids during the season with two 7-inning games it's a different mindset," Harper said, explaining. "The schedule affects our mid-week games. You can't pitch your best guy cause you've got to save him for Friday. The schedule helps develop pitching, but also, if you don't have it, it exploits it."
At that juncture, Farmington was 3-3 and had just swept Little Rock Christian, 6-1 and 2-1, in a double-header. The most experienced full-time starter was Hayden Sutton at first base with T.J. Askegaard manning the designated hitter spot among five seniors including Flint Oxford, who became the second pitcher. Gregg returned to action although not as a pitcher. Farmington finished 6-8 in league play out of the top four, missing the 2015 5A state baseball tournament.
"T.J. Askegaard was a role player for us. He was one of the best base-runners we ever had here at Farmington and did a really good job as a senior in the outfield," Harper said. "The thing I like about him is he bode his time and he didn't complain. It paid off in his senior year and he had a really great senior year."
During the course of every baseball season there will be judgment calls questioned by coaches and fans, but what is undisputable is the positive impact Harper is having as a coach and mentor in the lives of young men and community.
MARK HUMPHREY IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE ENTERPRISE-LEADER.
Sports on 05/20/2015