The Park City baseball program since 1996 has taken their current field. Often battered by our ski town’s rugged winters, the field is hard to use until late spring. Friday afternoon, the 2024-25 Miners squad will say to it one last goodbye, after which the school will put in a new turf field for next season.
Park City is hosting a super regionals playoff series with Thursday and Friday afternoon games against Cedar High. The Miners enter as the five seed, favored to advance to playoff bracket play next week.
Miners head coach David Feasler knows the importance of sending the field off right. He was once a Park City High player himself from 2007-10. The Miners will have rally towels, snacks and pregame ceremonies for attending fans.
Feasler and his coaching staff spent all weekend watching Cedar take down Tooele in two games. They know the Reds won’t be an easy out, especially with their season hanging in the balance.
“It’s way more about us, how we play and getting our kids ready,” said Feasler.
The head coach learned his lesson from last season — when the Miners fell in game one of the super regionals after a lengthy layoff — scheduling Ridgeline last Monday. The team has used the time before Cedar to rest up and have some high-intensity practices.
Park City hopes the added rest and their depth will help them manage the grueling playoff schedule. If they advance to bracket play, they could potentially play eight games in six days next week at Utah Tech University in St. George.
“We are a little bit deeper this year on the mound, which certainly helps,” added Feasler.
He and his staff noted a lot of the first round winners had to go three games to get the job done, not including Cedar. Over the course of the playoffs, that can be plenty of extra wear and tear.
With their pitching depth, a three game super regionals series wouldn’t crush the Miners, but all the boys want to get it done in two. Against Cedar, look for Park City to focus on wearing out their starters and getting past the top of their lineup.
“Our team knows that we’re going to be playing a good team this week,” said Feasler. “I don’t think there’s any overlooking our opponent at this point.”
Last year, the Miners played three bracket play games at Salt Lake Community College. While St. George is hours away, Feasler is optimistic staying away from home will only help his team lock in, should they advance.
Feasler hopes the town comes out to support his guys as they begin their quest for a state title.
“Last chance to host a game here,” Feasler said. “The atmosphere has been really cool at our yard for the last couple years. … He’s (longtime staff member Matt Straiter) throwing out our first pitch; we’ll have Scott Chester there announcing; we’ll have our 12 year olds running the concession stand, so it’ll be a really good time.”
To keep up-to-date with the Miners results and the rest of the 4A playoffs, see the bracket on the UHSAA website.