Carl Laughlin, a longtime Junction City High School baseball and football assistant coach will lead the Blue Jay baseball program in 2021. Matt Westerhaus, JCHS Athletic Director, confirmed that Laughlin will serve as the Interim Head Baseball Coach.
Laughlin has had an interest in the job for a long time. "Been interested in the job since about 1996 when I moved to Junction City and became an assistant coach under J.D. Hand. " Laughlin has also coached on the staffs of Dave Svoboda, Dave Martinez and Joel Applebee. He has also coached a traveling team which included seniors in the current Blue Jay program. "When the job came open I figured these are the kids I grew up coaching so it would be a great experience, hopefully for all of us."
Laughlin said his team will know baseball. We're going to know situations, situational hitting, pitchers rules - what you do and don't do. We're going to make the game exciting. I want the game moving slow in their minds but if you watch it from the outside I want everyone to be excited about how fast the game is moving, how quick we get on and off bases, how we stretch singles into doubles, just all the hustle plays we can get from every single kid every single kid at level through the program.
Three days of tryouts for the team begin March 1st with a full team practice on March 6th.
Laughlin teaches Technology classes at Junction City Middle School.