217 BASEBALL an EXTRA SWING Baseball players take advantage of extra year of eligibility. In spring 2020, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ended the baseball season two months early, disappointing senior Bison athletes. However, their spirits were lifted after receiving another year of eligibility for the following season. During their spring 2020 season, the Bison baseball team sat in second place, one game behind Oklahoma Baptist University in the Great American Conference. With seven seniors and a record of 18-6, the Bisons believed they could qualify for the regional tournament in late spring. Assistant coach Zach Beasley said he was confident his players would reach high levels of success. “It was going great before COVID hit,” Beasley said. “We were off to a really good start; guys were really playing well. I think we would’ve had a really good post-season. To see that taken away from those guys was definitely pretty devastating. It’s something you never could’ve imagined ever happening.” Five of the seven seniors returned, including fifth year seniors Luke Van Dover and Connor Kelly. Kelly said he was shocked when the season ended; however, he gained a new appreciation for the opportunity to play collegiate baseball. “When it happened to us, it was kind of that feeling that we were invincible,” Kelly said. “After, it was just a lot of feelings of disappointment and sadness, but not even sadness for ourselves, sadness for everyone involved because we had something that was really good.” Van Dover said he was grateful for the extra year of eligibility because it meant another year to play baseball with his teammates and coaches. “I think Harding baseball means more than I even thought it would, especially since the year has gone on,” Van Dover said. “It is very easy to take things for granted. When it was taken away from us last year, it made me realize that this was something that was beyond me.” Beasley was thankful for the seniors’ leadership. The team prepared for another successful season in spring 2021. “The leadership is pretty amazing, honestly,” Beasley said. “I can’t really thank those guys enough for what they’ve done here. I’m looking forward to the year with these guys and continuing what we left off from last year.” story by Sadie Thornton
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