Colts Baseball: Young Players Are Leading The Way

 

A group of young Colt baseball players is learning every day and starting to enjoy the fruits of their hard work, says Head Coach Nolan Almodovar.

 

“Our team this year is better than our previous year,” says Coach A, who also teaches Math and Science at the Middle School. “This year is better because we have more players with previous baseball experience.” 

 

While young athletes in larger communities may have Little League to learn their skills, Lucerne Valley baseball players generally don’t benefit from those opportunities.

 

“A majority of our players have never played before, so they main thing I have been trying to teach them is the basic fundamentals such as how to hold a baseball, how to properly throw a baseball, how to base run, and how to hit,” he says.  “I would obviously love to win, but my main focus with the younger kids is to make sure they are learning the game the right way.” 

 

Coach A does have several standouts who are quickly making a difference.  Jonathan Gonzales is an 8th grader who has several years of baseball experiences. “He is one of our main pitchers, and he is also one of our bigger hitters.” Jovani Gonzales is Jonathan’s younger brother who is only in 6th grade, however, he is one of one of the Colt’s best players. “Jovani is a really good athlete and pretty much does it all for our team. He can pitch, hit, and play good defense.”  A returner from last year, 7th-grader Jakob Barajas is a returner fand the starting shortstop and leadoff hitter. Haiden Rollins is an 8th grader who has only been playing baseball for two years. “Despite him only have a few years of experience he has become one of our more valuable players. He plays the infield and can also play the outfield really well.”

 

Coach A shares coaching duties with assistant coaches Sarah Courtney and Sal C. Coach A has played baseball his entire life. “After playing in high school, I was able to get a scholarship to play at the University of Saint Mary in Kansas , then after one year,  I transferred my senior year to play at California State University San Bernardino.”  

 

The coach, who also coaches high school baseball in the spring, is creating a program that builds each year. “My goal for every year is to try and improve from previous season. Ultimately, I just hope the kids are learning to play the game the right way. I also want to keep encouraging kids to come out and play baseball, that way I can try and build a program.”