In Memory of Derek Long

Whether you realize it in the moment or if it takes looking back on your life to understand it, your teammates and their families become an extension of yours.

Jeff Holland, knowingly or not, created a family within the Mesquite baseball team when he started coaching all of us 25 years ago. Because of that, when something happens to a teammate we feel it. People grow apart and new families take root but at the end of the day all of us remember who took up arms and went to battle with us on the field.

Derek Long passed away on May 2nd, 2025. We all remember D Long as the hard nosed, do it yourself kind of guy that always seemed like one of the toughest kids you'd come across. What wasn't lost in that tough personality was his love and caring for his friends and family. No matter what was going on with him, he never seemed to lose that pride and love for his family.

Derek can now play catch and spend precious time with his son, Nolan Jordan. He does leave behind a 10 month old daughter, Halle Mae. While she may not personally see D Long for who he was, hopefully this can be a small message from all of us showing her and her family what kind of friend and family member her dad was to us.

Whether it's just thoughts, prayers and a kind message or a donation, this page is set up to help Halle and her family in any way they need. Thank you for your time reading and any help is greatly appreciated.