With the COVID-19 outbreak forcing the cancellation of all high school spring sports, local high seniors were forced to deal with the abrupt reality that their prep careers were over. A group of these student-athletes were members of the Cincinnati Reds RBI program, and many were also regulars at the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy over the years. With our Senior Spotlight Series, the Reds want to recognize these players for their efforts and wish them well in their future endeavors, both on and off the field.

Josh Carr is one of the longest tenured Reds RBI players. Spending five years in the program, he was as excited as anyone for what awaited this summer. But the first step was to wrap up his career as a senior at Clark Montessori. And then the news came.

"When I found out the season was suspended, we were at a high school practice," Carr said. "Our coach got a text from the athletic director and told us about it, and the rest of that practice was ... different. It was sort of a blur and filled with the feeling of, 'Will we even play this season?'"

As is well documented by now, that answer became clear shortly after. Just a week later, Carr found out the entire spring season was canceled with summer season soon to follow.

"It didn't really register that my high school baseball career was over until that night when it all hit at once," Carr said. "I couldn't help being sad that it was over, and that when I walked off the field after losing in the postseason the year before, it would be my last time doing so in a Clark uniform. Although it was sad, I was very grateful for the impact my coaches, teammates and the game have had on my life these past years."

It's what he says last that is a common thread among all these athletes. The initial disappointment is a bitter pill to swallow, but ultimately the positive aspects take over. The great memories, relationships with teammates and coaches, and everything that went along with the journey is what they remember most.

When Carr and his Cougar teammates finished that practice after the suspension news, he recalls them all sitting in the dugout talking and having fun. No one was in a rush to change into their normal clothes and head home. They were enjoying their time together, perhaps knowing in the back of their minds that this might be the last time they would all gather as a team.

Because of how rapidly things with the pandemic progressed, Carr never got to share that last moment with his Reds RBI team. He became a member of RBI the summer before his freshman year at Clark after a teammate on his junior high team recommended he play with him for RBI. Thanks to his teammate's dad getting him a tryout, Carr became part of the RBI family.

"My first season started out with me trying to get to know all my new teammates and coaches, but once I learned [their] names, I quickly developed a lasting bond with many of those players," Carr said. "Over the years in RBI, there have been teammates that have come and gone and ones that have been there with me since day one, but no matter how long I played with them, the love is still there."

One of Carr's coaches, Roosevelt Barnes, remembers Carr for being well-rounded and for his commitment to the program over the years.

"Josh excelled as a student-athlete at Clark earning varsity accolades in both baseball and swimming," Barnes said. "He is a very knowledgeable baseball mind and is a sound leader to his teammates and community. A five-year member of the RBI Program, he participated in many of the programming opportunities at the Reds Youth Academy, highlighted by four appearances in the RBI Regional Tournament. Last year, Josh was an integral part of the 17-18u senior team with an ERA of just 2.21."

While Carr didn't get to put that finishing touch on his high school and RBI careers, he showed more than enough with his game the past several years to get looks from various college and achieve his goal of playing baseball at the next level. Carr is set to attend Kentucky Christian University in the fall as a student-athlete.

While many incoming college freshmen are unsure of their future after college (which can also be said for a lot of upperclassmen), Carr already knows the path he wants to take. Rather fittingly, Carr wants to open up his own automotive business one day, whether it's doing the repairs himself or working on the sales side.

"My interest in cars has been with me for as long as I can remember," Carr said. "I would sit in the back seat and name the makes of all the cars I could see. I would also collect Hot Wheels and race them. As I got older, naturally the hobby grew not only into real cars and it became a passion. It's very calming for me to be alone in the driveway working on my cars."