Yellowjackets kick off baseball season

The Union Diamond Jackets 2020 baseball season is under way and this year's squad has very high expectations under first year head coach, Joey Ward.

The former West Jones coach gave some insight into his thoughts and expectations for the team and what brought him to Union, including his love for the game, in a recent sit-down interview with the Democrat.
"I grew up a coach's son," Ward said. "My mother was also a teacher. I've been going to school since I was 5 and now I am 42. It's all I've ever known and it's all I've ever wanted to do. I grew up a gym and I was a field rat and I guess I still am." It still gives me an avenue to compete and I'm addicted to competition."

That drive to overcome the odds is part of what brought him to Union in the first place. That, and a couple of personal ties.

Coach Ward also described his great relationship with a former Union basketball coach, the late Coach Tim Land.

"I've been doing this for almost 20 years and I can tell you that Coach Land was one of the most unique individuals that I've ever come across," Ward said. "He was a great friend and mentor to me. He was very trustworthy and honest and was no doubt one of the funniest guys I've ever been around''.

Ward added that he still uses some of the coaching quips he learned under Land. ‘'He was a great coach and he loved his players," he said.

Ward has high expectations for the 20202 Union Baseball team. He says the biggest limitation on how far the team will go is their own belief.

"Our expectations for the 2020 Union Baseball team are very high," Ward said. "I think it's important for the kids to set the bar----let them decide how far they want to go. They want to compete for state championships. Now it's my responsibility to help them reach their goals - reminding them along the way that they are the ones who set the goal."

Over the years, Ward has been fortunate enough to coach in five South-State Championships and two State Championship series. But those teams, which Ward coached to the brink of a championship at West Jones, had a different makeup than this current Union roster.

The good news, he said, is that there is plenty of talent in Union.



"We've got to form our own identity as a team and we are well on our way to doing just that," Ward said. "Offensive baseball is an area we need to grow in as a team. As always, the pitchers are ahead of the hitters at this time. We have to learn to be selfish with our outs and selfless with our at bats."

While there are some big bats in the lineup, Ward said his lineup will have to embrace a team approach, learn to be accountable to each other and not be "flippant" with their at bats.

Union opened the season last week with a 12-3 loss at Enterprise, then went 1-1 over the second weekend of the season with a 3-1 win over Choctaw Central and a 9-4 loss to that same Enterprise team at home.

Ward would like to see more run production, but said until the offense really starts clicking, his lineup will have to play a more opportunistic game.

"I hope to be a very scrappy offense that can take advantage of the opponents' mistakes, be sound in our approach and technique and fight to get the most out of every out we're given as a hitter."