Season Interrupted: Arcadia pitcher Preston Howey has major league aspirations
Throughout the spring, The Times will interview high school seniors whose athletic careers were cut short by the coronavirus outbreak.
Name: Preston Howey
School: Arcadia
Sport: Baseball, pitcher
Key stats: In 2019, he was 13-1 and an All-CIF pitcher. This season, he was a week away from making his 2020 pitching debut when the season was canceled.
Summer plans: Play summer baseball in a Colorado collegiate league.
Fall plans: Will attend St. Mary’s.
What was your reaction to the season being canceled?
“It was tough hearing the news. I wanted to get out there to see what I could do trying to back up what I did last season. Our coaches gathered us together at our last practice and told us our season was getting canceled. Everybody looked real bummed. We all didn’t want to believe it.”
Is velocity the key to getting batters out?
“No, it’s not all about velocity. I was sitting 85, 87 [last year]. Once I got the ball on the mound, the confidence took over and it really paid off.”
How are you staying in shape?
“I’ve been meeting friends at parks and doing long toss.”
What new things are you discovering with your free time?
“I discovered I’m pretty good at basketball. I gave it up when I was in sixth grade and it came back to me.”
What lessons have you learned?
“Don’t take things for granted."
Where do you see yourself 10 years?
“The dream is to get drafted and play in the major leagues. If not, I really want to travel and see the world.”
Video interviews of each athlete can be found at latimes.com/sports/highschool.
