ERIE, Colo. — It should be the second week of the Colorado high school baseball season, but instead fields are left empty all over the country due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
Here in Colorado, the spring season has been pushed back to at least April 18, at which CHSAA will re-evaluate the climate and make a determination based on advice from local health and state officials.
Gavin Mendoza, a senior catcher for Erie High School, was hoping for a state run this year after his Tigers finished 6th in 2019, but instead is left with the reality that his season may not happen at all.
"I was heartbroken for my team and heartbroken for my school," he said. "It was just a sad situation."
He isn't giving up hope just yet. While CHSAA and state rules both prohibit formal team practices, Mendoza practices in his own backyard with a pop-up batting cage and tee.
"At this point, I'm just trying to do whatever I can do to keep my mind off of it. I'm trying to keep that hope that we'll still continue the season."
It's easier to maintain a bit of normalcy with home practices when one of your teammates is your own brother. Gabriel, a sophomore, is not yet on the varsity team, but the two challenge each other and keep each other motivated.
"We can definitely get a lot of work in just here at the house in the backyard," Gavin said. "It's definitely an easy resource to get some work in."
Their mother Michelle Mendoza tweeted out a video of the two practicing together earlier in the week.
"It's really good to see them together trying to work through it together but it has been a little heartbreaking," she said.
Gabriel said it's been difficult to stay motivated, when the easier choice of sitting on the couch is always an option. However, having his older brother around, keeps him in shape for the rest of this season or his next two.
As a sophomore, he also understands this moratorium isn't as crushing for him as it is for his brother or his senior friends, but he did take time to mourn his own loss.
"It was not as devastating for me as it was for Gavin because I'm only a sophomore, but it was still really sad because I was still really excited for the season," Gabriel said.
This isn't just a loss of a few runs and outs, their father Omar explained, but it's a bigger blow to their mental fortitude. He reassures both of his kids in different ways, since one may never see a high school field again, and the other needs to stay prepared for the rest of his prep career.
"We talk about this as, we're not trying to diminish what's happening in the world. It is a little more than just baseball," Omar said. "It is a little more than just sports."
Leave it to their mother to put things into perspective.
"I know being a senior, they look forward to the spring season and senior prom and everything they have to look forward to but there's a lot more to life than just this," she said.
Gavin hopes there's more to his baseball life after this lost season. But for now, a bit of normalcy is all any of the Mendozas are asking for.
"I think at this point, the future is just hoping we can get back to normal," Gavin said. "It's just one day at a time at this point and just hoping for the best right now."
Watch this story on the 9 NEWS Prep Rally on Sunday morning!
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