BOWLING GREEN — The Northern Lakes League baseball coaches, led by Perrysburg’s Dave Hall, have scheduled two senior games with teams composed of players from all eight of the league’s schools.
The NLL Seniors games are scheduled for June 22 at Bowling Green’s Carter Park, with the first starting at 5:30 p.m., and the second at 7:30.
Some details are still being ironed out, including exactly how many senior players will participate.
But, the current plan calls for the first game to be between a team combining players from Anthony Wayne and Springfield facing a combined Maumee and Perrysburg team. The second contest pits Bowling Green and Napoleon players against a squad of Northview and Southview players.
Admission will be $6 for the event.
“Our first idea was to play another league,” Hall said. “But, I said ‘let me check on how many seniors there are,’ and we looked at numbers. We thought we could get all the NLL kids just to play each other. It’s an all-senior game.”
In terms of play on the field and proximity of spectators, the games are to follow coronavirus pandemic guidelines issued by the Ohio Department of Health, according to Carter Park president Tim Dunn, who said his facility’s board of trustees developed its own specific protocols and guidelines.
“There are only going to be 22 spectators in those three seating sections,” Dunn said. “It won’t be packed. We’re going to encourage spectators to bring chairs, and we’re going to go all the way down the first and third baselines.
“Our public address announcer will make announcements to remind the spectators, and we’re probably going to have to be constantly moving people. It’s a pain. But, we’re doing this for the kids, to let them get some kind of small short season out there.”
The social-distancing guidelines include restrictions on the number of players allowed in the dugouts, with the remaining team members being situated further down the first and third baselines in foul territory, or in the bleachers behind the dugouts.
Each team will have its own supply of baseballs that it will use while in the field while playing defense.
For spectators, Dunn said the bleachers will be marked for proper spacing.
These games mark the biggest high school-related baseball event of the summer, at least for now, although many schools have already begun or will begin having games on Monday.
Most area school districts began permitting sporting activities under state-issued guidelines as early as May 26, most with social-distancing restrictions that do not allow for competition.
Baseball and softball, however, were granted permission to play games, including youth leagues and high school teams.
Some districts allow their high school baseball and softball teams to practice only. Others allow them to practice on school grounds but not play games there. And, the least restrictive are enabling their teams to practice and play games on their own fields.
Perrysburg will host its first varsity summer baseball games Monday through Wednesday, playing against Eastwood, Archbold, and Napoleon, respectively.
Eastwood and Napoleon, for instance, are not yet permitted by their districts to play home games.
Anthony Wayne, which is allowed to play baseball games, is not allowed to host any. Coach Mark Nell’s Generals have a game set for Monday at Bryan, and a doubleheader scheduled for Wednesday at Defiance.
“Obviously they missed the season, so we’re trying to give them the opportunity to play together one more time,” Nell said of the event. “I had 11 seniors, and I don’t think all of them are going to be able to play because of prior commitments.
“We’ll probably have six or seven that will be able to play, but it gives them a chance to play ball with each other again.”
Nell said the NLL Seniors games, and just resuming games in general, restores a bit of normalcy.
“I’m just trusting what people are telling us,” he said of possible health risks. “They’re letting us do things, and we’re following the guidelines. I got out on the field and I feel like I’m back in my real world now.
“Obviously, we’re keeping the kids apart in pods and groups. Baseball is a pretty good sport for social distancing anyway for the most part, and we’re doing everything we’ve been asked to do.”
Hall said the idea for the NLL Seniors games actually came from Perrysburg athletic director Chuck Jaco, who noted that a similar contest was planned for teams in the Lima area.
Jaco pitched the idea to the NLL’s other seven athletic directors, and Hall contacted the league’s other baseball head coaches.
“They were very happy,” Hall said of the NLL’s response. “They jumped all over it, and everybody said they were in.
“I think we’re ready to go. Baseball’s been given the green light since May 26, so a lot of us have been practicing and getting ready.”
All eight schools agreed to take part, and Hall began assembling a list of potential senior participants from each school.
The AW/Springfield group had 13 possible players, Maumee/Perrysburg 17, BG/Napoleon 18, and Northview/Southview 14.
Hall knows that some of the seniors from each school will either not be available to play, or will choose to not play. But, he, Nell, and the other NLL coaches are prepared to adjust the original format of the two games, perhaps combining players in another way.
“We may have to adjust it a little,” Hall said. “Springfield’s got two players but only one can play. AW’s got 11 but only six or seven can play. So, we may have to tweak it a little bit.
“We’re still going to have the two games, but we may have to just take the four teams and divide them equally so we have an even number of kids. It depends on the numbers.”
Dunn said that all players, and their parents, will be required to fill out and sign a three-page waiver form releasing the Carter Park facility from any coronavirus-related legal liability before they can participate.
Hall’s intention was to give all seniors from the league one more chance to play with their teammates and league foes, so all seniors were invited as opposed to limiting any school to a certain number of players.
Dunn said he hopes Carter Park, which reopened for competition with a youth baseball tournament on Friday, will gain some valuable knowledge about hosting events under the coronavirus restrictions over the next two weeks. He believes that will be helpful when the NLL Seniors games are held there.
First Published June 5, 2020, 8:30 p.m.