Ken Loud’s son, Harrison, a pitcher and first baseman, got called up to the varsity as a freshman. Last year, during his junior season, he had increasing tooth pain just after the season began and a dentist gave him a choice: get his wisdom teeth out — or endure the severe pain until after the season.

He missed school and practice on a Tuesday to get the teeth extracted. “The coach mentioned him by name to tell the team: ‘Don’t be like Loud. If you have any procedures that need to be done, it’s either before the season or after the season,’” Ken Loud recalled hearing later.