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One-on-one with Luna baseball coach Harry Estep
The following is a one-on-one interview with Luna baseball coach Harry Estep.
Season outlook. How does the upcoming season look in general? What are your expectations?
We are excited for this season. We brought in a lot of talented new faces and have a lot of returning players that are ready to help push the team this year. My expectations for this year is to have a team that competes every single inning of every game. We may not win every inning but that will not affect how we go about our business. My expectations for the conference is that we will compete for a southern half title and an overall title.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the team? Why?
One of the biggest strengths of this team is our offense. We have a strong offense with a lot of power. Another strength is the depth of our pitching staff that is led by our returning pitchers. Our biggest weakness is our lack of experience for many of our younger players at the collegiate level, but it is a great chance for them to grow as baseball players and young men.
How many returning players do you have and how many new players do you have? How many overall players are on your roster?
We have 15 returning players and 32 new players for a total of 47 athletes on the roster.
Name two or three players to look for in 2023.
Diego Quinonez – right-handed pitcher from Las Cruces; Ashton Luera – right-handed pitcher from Albuquerque and Juanito Avila - outfielder/left-handed pitcher from Albuquerque.
What is going to take Luna to make a run for the conference title?
Consistent effort and focus on a daily basis. We have to do all the little things right. As far as on the field, we need timely offense and pitching that attacks the strike zone.
What type of athletic play do you expect this year?
We expect an aggressive type of athletic play this year where we are not afraid to make mistakes. We want to be the team that is not afraid to take the extra base while on offense.
How was your offseason workouts and overall attitude on the team?
We had a really strong off-season and our athletes saw a lot of improvement in all aspects of their game. As far as attitude goes, we have a strong team chemistry. These guys truly enjoy being around each other which helps guys to stay motivated even on the hardest days.
*How do you like your new facility? How much of an improvement is it?
The new facility is amazing. It is a massive improvement with tons of room for our athletes and it will definitely help us in the recruiting process with future athletes.
Last year’s overall record and conference record?
8-45 overall and 6-28 in conference.
Any final comments?
As I mentioned before, we are very excited for this year. Lots of new faces and a different level of energy on a daily basis is going to lead to big things for Luna baseball.