Obren Manjencich is an ASU student at the Cronkite School assigned to cover Perry High School for AZPreps365.com.

Damien Tippett, head coach of Perry’s baseball team, is appreciative of the AIA’s stance during the coronavirus crisis.

The AIA, the governing body of high school sports in Arizona, took a wait and see approach before cancelling all games Monday.

Tippett said this period of uncertainty has been tough due to the heavy number of seniors on the team.

“It’s been really difficult especially with our team having 14 seniors,” Tippett said. “It’s unusual to have that many seniors. It’s the most we ever had.”

Nine players have already signed to play college baseball, Tippett said.

“But that’s five kids that are not signed who this might be it for baseball; so, my heart breaks for them.”

His players, they are utilizing what they have at their homes for workouts.

“I’m lucky enough to have a cage at home,” senior shortstop Dustin Crenshaw said.

Senior pitcher Kai Taylor is on the other side of the fence.

“I don’t have the luxury of having a gym anymore,” Taylor said. “I have to do some body weight exercises and find stuff around the house, that I can use as a substitute for weights such as heavy books or using my bed as a bench press.”

Although players can’t work out together, they are keeping in touch.

“We are talking on zoom; we have meetings three to four times a week,” Crenshaw said. “We gather up as a team with coaches and talk over stuff.”

If the season is ultimately cancelled, Crenshaw reflected on what he’ll miss about high school baseball.

“The guys, the relationships that you’ve built over the course of a season, the special things that we were potentially able to do,” Crenshaw said.