Jun. 12—PULASKI — Jack Carnes considered the positive force that Pulaski Area Little League baseball played in his upbringing and dedicated his senior community service project to aiding the organization.
Carnes — the Pulaski High School senior and starting catcher for the Blue Devils varsity baseball team — has witnessed the reward of his efforts in action this spring as he attends games to watch his youngest brother, Peter, play for the league that initially sparked his passion for baseball.
Carnes approached league coach Nate Bureau last summer to inquire about volunteering his time, and league management oversaw as he completed a variety of volunteer maintenance and promotional tasks.
“I’ve grown up with baseball and I’ve been able to fall in love with it through watching it and playing it,” Carnes said. “I wanted that experience to be something that other students at Pulaski could have so when they grow up and they love the program, so when they come up to play varsity baseball, they have just as much love and respect for the game.”
Carnes focused much of his work on needed renovations around Otis Field, the host site of the Pulaski Area Little League.
He repainted the benches, dugouts, and field liners, and provided a hand with other structural improvements and grounds-keeping tasks. Carnes completed the bulk of his field maintenance between last August and October.
“So many parents have thanked me for my work and helping make the place enjoyable to be,” Carnes said. “For me being a part of the community and seeing other people who care for it makes me want to do the same thing, and I just wanted to give back.”
Carnes also worked to market the league after a scaled-down season last summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic by working with Bureau’s wife to produce a promotional video prior to open enrollment.
They presented the video to students at the Pulaski Elementary School prior to signups and posted it online for interested parents to share.
Bureau credited those efforts for playing a part in league participation numbers returning to 2019 levels prior to last year’s less formal “Sandlot League,” held much later than the traditional league season due to coronavirus concerns and state mandates.
“After 2020, it was a really nice way to kick things off and let everybody know that Little League was back and that we were ready to play ball, and a good way to open the kids’ eyes to that,” Nate Bureau said.
Carnes was required to quarantine at two separate points last fall but due to the solo nature of the project, was able to continue working independently at times as the only person at the field.
Carnes also volunteered to help open Otis Field earlier this spring and prepare for the season to begin.
He was forced to miss one varsity practice on a Saturday for the work and when he explained the request to Wayne “Butch,” Taplin, the longtime Pulaski varsity coach and recent addition to the 300-win club was happy to excuse the absence.
“That’s what you want,” Taplin said. “You want the kids to be proactive in the community, and not only that, to give back to the (baseball) program.”
Carnes has been a key cog in helping the Pulaski varsity squad finish the regular season with a 9-4 record and secure the fourth seed in the Section 3 Class C-1 playoffs. The fast-paced tournament was set to begin earlier this week and slated to end with championship games for all classes on Saturday.
Bureau referred to Carnes as a strong role model for the Little League upstarts and said he frequently brings his two sons, ages 10 and 8, often with several other young players to watch Carnes and his varsity teammates.
“We were at the point where we needed everything painted,” Bureau said. “If Jack hadn’t approached us, at some point, one of the volunteers would have had to devote more time, so it took the weight off of somebody else’s shoulders, and it was unique because he did everything that he said he was going to do.”