MOREHEAD, Ky. –The calendar has turned over three weeks since Morehead State student-athletes learned their spring camps, practices, and seasons were being canceled due to the outbreak of COVID-19 across the United States. Despite this, many student-athletes have remained diligent in their studies and physical conditioning as each passing day is just another 24 hours closer to being back with their teammates and competing for their "dear old M-S-U."
 
The following is a Question & Answer feature with Morehead State Baseball sophomore Zach Boyd. The Tallmadge (Ohio) High School product saw his 2020 season cut short after having driven in six runs and crushing two home runs while appearing in five games. Last season, Boyd saw action in 44 games as he helped the Eagles to a 40-win campaign.
 
Boyd is native of Kent, Ohio, and is pursuing his bachelor's degree in sport management while at Morehead State.
 

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Q - Zach, when did you first hear about the Coronavirus?
 
A - In general, I first heard about the coronavirus during mid-February when it was beginning in China. It wasn't until a few weeks later until I heard about how bad it was spreading in Italy and beginning to spread in the U.S.
 
Q - And when you heard about it what were your initial thoughts and how've those changed as the outbreak has continued?
 
A - I didn't really know what to think about COVID-19 when I first learned about it. Like most people my age, we use Twitter as our news source and I would check on daily updates on it but I never in a million years thought the virus had the potential to cancel the spring sports seasons and semesters across the country. Now, my thoughts have completely changed about it and I know this is extremely serious because this virus can infect anyone and has infected the younger age groups.
 
Q - So, on March 16 you figure out that the season had been cancelled, who'd you talk to immediately about what was happening?
 
A - The first person I talked to after hearing the season had been cancelled were my parents. I was very shocked, and we were all kind of speechless but, they were very supportive and actually taught me some things about the Coronavirus.
 
Q - For the teams' view, how's the cancellation received?
 
A - The entire team and coaching staff has been strong and we've all been leaning on each other during this time. We thought we would be able to eventually practice and maybe play some games and then when the season was officially cancelled, we were all crushed.
 
Q - Now for you and any Division-I athlete, keeping a routine in vital in being successful. How challenging has that been for you?
 
A - It has been very tough breaking the normal routine of going to class, lifts, practices, and games. I can speak for all athletes when I say that we are all not used to this much down time. Because of all of the gyms and training facilities closing I have had to get creative with working out for baseball and staying in shape. I have been doing some workouts that are accessible by staying at home and have been using the sidewalk or street to continue my conditioning.
 
Q - With the future in mind, what are some things that you've done individually to keep your mind and body ready to competition and focused on the future?
 
A - Now that classes have resumed, my main focus is on finishing the semester strong and making sure I'm staying on top of my school work because transitioning to all online learning is difficult. I've been trying to keep my body ready for competition by working out at home and trying to get swings in off of the tee in my backyard. I also think this is a good time for everyone to improve mentally. With all of the downtime I have been able to read some books that I haven't had the opportunity to fully commit to reading.
 
Q - Glad you mentioned online course work…you said it's difficult. What's been challenging about it so far and are there any positives about it?
 
A - Well, even though parts of it are difficult, I think I'm adapting well. I've been getting up earlier and trying to do my assignments right away to try and simulate a normal class day. Some pros to this are that I can create a better schedule and plan for finishing my assignments, and I know what work will be expecting from me each week. The biggest con is just not having my professors in front of me so that I can take notes and hear their lecture.
 
Q - Well let's talk about being home now, what are you doing to keep yourself and your family healthy?
 
A - My family and I have been staying at home as much as we can during this time. We are trying to be very careful about washing our hands and not coming into contact with too many people. Staying at home all day is pretty boring but, we have been playing a lot of card games like Euchre and Hearts and other board games.
 
Q - And when this is hopefully comes to an end and you're able to return to Morehead, what do you hope people will learn from this life-altering experience?
 
A - I just hope everyone learns to cherish this extended time with their families and also to make the most of every present moment because you never know when something can happen to take it away from you. No one thought that the coronavirus would become a global pandemic and stop the world as we knew it. However, it did, and this will be a once in a lifetime experience. Although this is a terrible time and is negatively affecting the entire world, I think there can still be some positive things that come from this pandemic.
 
Q - To wrap this up… Zach, what was it that made you want to become a Morehead State Eagle?
 
A - I chose to come to Morehead State because I had an opportunity to be a part of a great team with a history of winning and competing at a high level. Along with this, I loved that the school was not too big but not too small. I loved the scenery and nature surrounding Morehead. It's been a great decision so far.
 
Questions were asked by MSU Athletics Media Relations Assistant, Ted McCoart, via email.