To the Pershing County Mustangs, teamwork is everything.
That's why coaches Jared Jensen and Jesse Canchola teamed up with the 4-H to bring Major League University Baseball Camp to Lovelock last weekend.
Pershing County 4-H coordinator Colby Burke sees similarities in MLU and 4-H values. For example, they both emphasize the development of leadership skills. The MLU focuses on the mental side of the game and teaches arm care.
According to sports physiologists, all baseball players, not just pitchers, put enormous stress on their arms.
Overhand throwing is one of the quickest motions in sports. Arm care is vital even for the youngest players.
The MLU is based in Arizona but its coaches travel all over the country holding baseball camps. CEO Austin Byler is a former NCAA two-time All-American at Nevada.
He was an MLB draft pick and Arizona Diamondbacks. The camps cost $50 per child.
Last Thursday and Friday morning, 37 Mustangs between eight and 18 gathered on the baseball field.
The coaches separated them by age. Next, they pitched, batted and ran until the midsummer sun rose overhead.
By noon, they wisely called it quits. Some made a beeline for the community pool. Others went home for lunch.
On Friday, they all walked off with a tee-shirt as a memento of the day.
