Family Ties

When Jordan Price was 10-years-old, he received a prediction on his future baseball career. It came from the greatest mentor he could imagine, Josh Carney, a first cousin nine years older and an All-Stater at Carl Albert. "He told me I was going to be better than him," Price said. "That really meant a lot." It would mean more later, because it would be the final time the two ever spoke. Soon after, in February 1999, Carney was killed in an auto accident. He and a friend were returning from a baseball game at the University of Oklahoma. It was raining. Their vehicle hydroplaned. The tragedy rocked the entire baseball program at Carl Albert, but may have hit Price the hardest. He didn't consider Carney just a mentor, or even a cousin. It was much more than that. "A lot of people didn't know the story between us," Price said. "A lot of people knew we were cousins. But I'm the oldest sibling in my family, so he was more like a brother than a cousin to me." Now, eight years later, what is so notable about Carney's last message to Price is that the younger cousin doesn't appear to be on his way to one-upping his mentor, as predicted. No, Price has instead decided to follow in Carney's steps. Price is now a senior at Carl Albert and, like Carney, excels at both baseball and basketball. Like Carney, Price has signed to play for an NAIA school that competes in the Sooner Athletic Conference. Their swings are similar. Their leadership qualities are the same. "I have a lot of people tell me that Jordan reminds them of Josh," Carl Albert head coach Wayne Dozier said. "They really are similar in a lot of ways, especially on the baseball field. They're both energetic and natural leaders." Amazingly, Price even looks like Carney did in high school. "It's weird. Some of his friends from back in high school have gotten in contact with me and told me how much I look like him," Price said. "I just remember how much passion he played with and how hard he played. When I went into high school, I wanted to be like that. So, if we're a lot alike, it's because I used to stand on the fence all the time and watch him play." This season, Price has found another way to remember his cousin. After making his name on the baseball team at third base and shortstop, he's moving over to second base. It's the same position Carney played in 1998 when he posted school-record numbers of 81 RBI and 41 stolen bases and led the Titans to the state finals. "He taught me a lot about baseball. He taught me about hitting, he taught me my double-play routine," Price said of Carney. "And I've always been on the left side of the diamond, so it's pretty special to be standing in the spot where he played." Dozier coached Carney when he was at Carl Albert. He witnessed the impact he had both on the field and in the club house, and believes he's the best role model Price could've had. "We've had a bunch of good ones here, but he was one of the better ones," Dozier said. "He was a great kid, an unbelievable kid. He's just the kind of kid you want to be around and have around, and I know he meant a lot to Jordan." This school year already has been a magical one for Price, as his Titan basketball squad seized the Class 5A state championship. They did it with Price in the starting lineup and his father, Jay, as head coach. Months earlier, Carl Albert also won the state football title. That means the pressure is on the Titan baseball team to help the school pull off an impressive triple play of titles. Carl Albert appears to have a great shot at the feat too, as a crop of players are back from a squad that played in the 5A state finals last year. For the kid at second base, though, the season already has been about so much more than simple championships. "It's a big deal to me, just being able to play his spot," Price said. "The tough thing is, I also have to do my own thing. So, sometimes it's tough for me to follow in his steps. But it's still a privilege."