With all the turmoil, changes, and compromises that have taken place because of the COVID-19 pandemic, OVS baseball players have done their best to remain positive and on the field.
Last year, the team’s season was cut short and ended in early March when OVS switched to online learning due to the pandemic. The team returned to modified practices in late fall when the school reopened for in-person learning, but there was still much doubt whether baseball this school year would be able to have its day in the sun.
But with the decline of COVID-19 cases and the release of a vaccine to battle the disease, baseball is back.
On Saturday, OVS baseball players once again will lace up their cleats, button up their uniforms and occupy Dok Smith Field to host a home game at 11 a.m. against Nordhoff High School.
“I was so overjoyed when I found out,” junior Ryan Ferrell said about learning that the season was officially on. “I haven’t played a game with my friends at OVS for over a year now. I’m really excited to have the opportunity again.”
In the history of OVS athletics, the baseball team has been one of the school’s most competitive, focused, and victorious programs.
A year ago, they began their season with two non-league games against Nordhoff and Cate schools. In both games, the OVS players were fierce. They lost to Nordhoff with a close score of 11-7, and won the game against Cate with a 9-0 triumph.
But the victory streak was then halted by the pandemic as training became impossible. With health hazards and restrictions, school sport practices were no longer allowed.
However, this did not stop the OVS baseball players from pursuing their love of the game. Many of them persevered and found a solution to continue practices safely and legally.
Baseball coach Ryan Pearman described this year’s players as passionate and committed, noting that even without regular training many of the athletes would assemble after school and on weekends to practice on their own.
With several new players joining the team, these early season games will provide good experience for all members of the team.
“My main goal is to assist in the players’ personal growth, such as accountability, mental toughness and work ethic,” Mr. Pearman said. “It is difficult to compare athletes that are in different stages of their careers. At this point we are just focusing on getting better everyday, and for each player that improvement can vary.”
Training during LEAP periods has been a routine for the most extremely committed players such as senior Derek Mendoza and junior Broderick Moller.
Along with a handful of others, they would practice during LEAP periods for more training time—even before COVID-19. This year, many more players are practicing during LEAP to make up for the lost practice time.
“For LEAPs, we’ve had some familiar faces…but we’ve also had some new faces,” said Derek, who along with Brody and Mr. Pearman has helped run those practices. “To be honest, all the new kids who have shown up have shown extreme improvements. I just hope we get to have a full season.”
The status of this year’s baseball season is critical for numerous reasons.
Many members want to keep playing baseball in college, but the pandemic has taken away a lot of confidence regarding their continuation of the sport at a collegiate level, as recruitment is nearly impossible when no games are taking place.
“COVID most definitely has had a negative impact on my high school baseball career,” said Brody. “Not only did it cancel most of my sophomore season, [it threatened] to take away my junior season.”
The season was in doubt until just recently.
Before the February break, the status of games was contingent on Ventura County entering the Red Tier, a ranking system based on the number of new daily COVID-19 cases and positivity rate. The county had been in the purple tier for most of the school year, limiting the sports activities that could take place.
But on Feb. 19, a new CIF Southern Section Update was released that laid down new guidelines and announced that sporting contests of all kinds — including baseball, track and girls soccer in the spring at the Upper Campus — could begin taking place.
That’s how it is that starting tomorrow, 14 boys will don their home white uniforms and take to the field to play a game that for a time was taken away from them, and that now has taken on new meaning.
“Last year, I thought I’d be making this great memory and having many baseball games, but instead because of COVID-19 I had to go home,” said sophomore Hyunung Choi. “I am happy we are playing again. You’ll see a smile on my face no matter who wins.”
