Pine River's Hunter Kanouse gets ready to play a round of golf at Tustin Trails recently. (Star file photo)
LEROY - Hunter Kanouse had plans for a successful baseball season at Pine River.
For now, those plans are on hold with the MHAA having cancelled the spring sports season because of the coronavirus attack.
Kanouse was a junior this past sports season and was in basketball and baseball.
Had there been a baseball season, "we would have been pretty good," Kanouse said. "We had two foreign exchange students that were really talented. We had Lane Ruppert, who was a great senior. Kris Green would have been a nice pitcher. It was a strong team all-around."
Kanouse was slated to play third, second and shortstop.
Kanouse got called up to the varsity as a freshman for districts and played half the season as a sophomore. This would have been his first full baseball season.
As an infielder, "I have a good glove," he said, adding at the plate, "I'd just like to see some improvement from last year. I struggled. I'd like to bounce back. You have to get in a stance that looks comfortable and wait for a pitch to hit."
Kanouse said baseball is his best sport and he worked with his dad, Ken Kanouse, during the offseason to get ready for the spring campaign.
Basketball was headed to the district title game for the Bucks, but the postseason was suspended on March 12.
"We felt we could have won that game," Kanouse said.
The next day, after a baseball practice, spring sports were cancelled.
"I was really disappointed," Kanouse said. "I was ready to play with this group of kids for six months at that point. I was sad to see it go."
Kanouse plays at Tustin Trails Golf Course in a Friday morning high school league and has dabbled in as much basketball and baseball as he can.
