Even the oldest players in the Eads program, all who were denied their spring high school season because of the pandemic quarantines, gathered together to form a team who would travel to Garden City, KS to the Jim Clanton Memorial Tournament. The eldest team joined area teams who were competing in the 12U, 13U, 14U, and 16U Tournaments.
It was a tough go for the 13U Hi-Plains team in Garden City over the weekend as they went 0-4 against some very stiff competition. An impressive Liberal Rattlers team would wind up winning the tournament on cruise control.
As everyone is aware, in mid-March of this year our world as we knew it changed to a point that nearly everything was closed up tighter than a drum--- even schools were closed with only three quarters completed. And, along with the schools closing the high school spring sports seasons of Track & Field, Baseball, and Girls’ Golf was canceled, as well.
Attempting to escape the COVID-19 lockdown, High Plains baseball league has been throwing the ball around for the last two weeks and hit the road to Garden City for the Battle of the Bases Tournament on June 20-21. The 13-year-old division had six teams entered. Coach Dayne Eaton said, "It feels great to be back on the diamond after missing April, May, and most of June. These kids just really needed to get out and play."
Those words have been yelled out loud every single summer since the 1960s when Wayne Singer and many community leaders from his generation worked tirelessly to create summer baseball and softball leagues in Eads and surrounding towns--- without exception. That is, until 2020 arrived and COVID-19 nearly ruined everything a kid could look forward to. As late as last week, we reported that it looked like it might be possible that summer ball would be on the chopping block along with the many activities the kids missed during the spring semester of school.
