Despite facing a number of obstacles due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Sodbusters and the Expedition League will begin their third season of college wood bat baseball for a slightly abbreviated schedule.

And this will mark the first season opener for Galusha as a co-owner and the general manager of the franchise.

“We’re really excited for the season,” Galusha said. “A lot of work had to be done to get to this point, but right now we have a team of guys who feel fortunate that they have this opportunity. They are going to put on those Sodbusters jerseys and represent Hastings well.”

Only six of the 10 Expedition League franchises are active this season due to various local and state regulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That led to a delayed start to the season and a 52-game schedule which is packed together. Hastings has four days off, one coming after a scheduled doubleheader against Western Nebraska on Monday to wrap up a season-opening five-game homestand.

With a grind like that, it is a good thing that Galusha sees depth as one of the Sodbusters’ biggest strengths.

“This is my first year under my new job, but I’m really excited about the young men that we have from 1 through 34,” he said. “Everybody says they have been practicing and throwing to stay in shape. We’ll see who has and who hasn’t. But I’m seeing some good things.”

The Sodbusters will again have plenty of familiar local faces. Grand Island natives Trey Kissack and Casey Burnham return to the team and will be joined by Cole Evans and Shay Schanaman.

Hastings will be represented by Trey Asher, Connor Laux, Grant Schmidt and Sam Wibbels.

They will be mixed with players coming from Texas, Arkansas, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Iowa, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Colorado, Minnesota, Wyoming, California and Texas.

“On the field, I expect to compete at the highest level,” Galusha said. “A lot of people talk about winning isn’t everything. That’s not part of my DNA. That doesn’t mean that we have to win the championship, but I want us to play hard every time we put on the uniform and compete at the highest level possible.”

The Sodbusters also want to make each home game an enjoyable outing for fans. There are extra challenges with that due to attendance limits and other regulations due to COVID-19.

“Safety is our first priority,” Galusha said. “We hope for a season without an outbreak. Some of those things are under our control and some of those things are not. We’re glad to have this opportunity since we’re one of four leagues playing at the highest level.

“We’re excited for the season. We want to make it as completely safe of an environment as we can, and our staff has been putting in countless hours to do that.”

And after putting in those hours, Galusha said it will be a relief when that first pitch is throw and people can start enjoying baseball once again.