Columbus, Ga (WRBL) – The high school baseball season is just under ten days away. Carver head coach Michael Long is back leading the Tigers for his second season. This was once a program without direction for years, but now with Long’s leadership the team is excited for a new season.

“It’s been fun. He’s very energetic guy. He loves to get stuff done. You know, he’s a he’s a good person. He cares a lot about the players. He cares a lot about all of us. He does a lot for us. Goes out of his way,” said senior infielder and catcher Deandre Pridgett.

“It’s pretty good. He stays on us, made sure we get the best out of what we do,” said sophomore infielder Christian Eleby.

Head coach Long has also praised the work ethic his team brings to practice leading up to the start of the season.

“They come out here in the motivated in there again they’re here strong and they’re out here just you know, trying to get 1% better every day. And that’s what we want here. You want them to get better. When people talk about Carver they mentioned Carver baseball as well,” said coach Long.

The Tigers baseball team was rocked by tragedy when former head coach David Pollard died in a car accident in 2016. Coach Long understood the massive responsibility taking the Carver job, but he understood by taking this job he also had to honor the late Coach Pollard.

“First things that I told myself when when I got the job that I wanted to honor him. And you know what? You know, just starting off of what we’re going to do this year with an a baseball tournament We plan on doing bigger and better things to honor him here. We’ll put signs around the field, you know, with his name on it. And annually have that tournament just to grow that and just, you know, keep his memory alive,” said coach Long.

Coach Long believes the best way to honor coach’s memory and what he wanted for the Carver program is to come out and compete hard.

“We honor him by getting 1% better every day. We’re going to honor him on the field. We’re playing the game the right way, playing with a lot of class and integrity. And I think that he’ll be proud to see where this program is going and where it’s headed,” said Long.

Mike Long already has already garnered some national attention, as he won the 2022 “Gamechanger of the Year”. Carver’s first game of the season is on February 7th at home against Hardaway.