This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Maple Mountain coach Gary Miner answered his phone on Tuesday. Several innings into the junior varsity game at Wasatch High, directly after the varsity game had concluded, he received the news: Arik Mack, a former All-State pitcher for the Golden Eagles, had sustained fatal injuries in a head-on collision with a coal-hauling semi-trailer truck in Spanish Fork Canyon. Mack, 19, was ejected from his Honda Element SUV, which crossed the center line heading eastbound on U.S. Route 6 at 3:19 p.m. He was declared dead at the scene.

At the time, Mack's younger brother, Jeff, was pitching for Maple Mountain. Per the request of the family, Miner confiscated Jeff's cellphone, to avoid news reports and social media, and continued to coach the young sophomore as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile the news circulated within the community.

"I had parents sticking their head into the dugout," Miner said. "Our varsity team [had] all left. They found out, and somebody texted this and that. The sophomores were at home, practicing, so they found out sporadically."

Miner instructed the younger Mack to return home with an assistant coach because of a "family emergency" rather than accompany his teammates on the bus. Hours after the accident, Jeff's parents were finally able to disclose that his older brother had been killed.

"It's been a rough day, to say the least, with the boys," Miner said of the morale at Maple Mountain on Wednesday. "We've got kids that are struggling."

Arik Mack was named first-team All-State by The Salt Lake Tribune after posting a perfect 10-0 record, including throwing a no-hitter against the eventual Class 4A state champion Salem Hills, during his senior year in 2013. He finished his high school career 22-4, including winning 20 straight games.

He played at BYU after high school. Cougars coach Mike Littlewood said in a 2012 news release that Mack was "one of the premier left-handed pitchers in the state." Mack, however, injured his shoulder at the start of last season, limiting his action to one-third of an inning pitched in a 10-0 loss to TCU.

"Arik just wanted to have fun, all day, every day. He was fun to have around," Miner said. "He would always work hard; he was super-competitive in everything he did. He was always adding a little flavor to the experiment."

Mack eventually left the BYU program and transferred to Salt Lake Community College for increased playing time. Mack never played for the Bruins.

"It's obviously extremely tough. He's a very likable, very vibrant young man that was a joy to be around," said SLCC coach David Nelson, who addressed the team early Wednesday morning with the news. "… I think our guys are in shock that something like that could take place."

Miner said the Maple Mountain program is deciding on a proper tribute to honor Mack's memory this season, but noted his main concern is supporting his team as it copes with grief.

"I'm looking down the hallway, and there's 10 of my boys sitting here together," Miner said. "That's what we feel like is our responsibility right now — to be there with [his little brothers] and the family. To tell them we love and care about them."

Twitter: @trevorphibbs