Bailey Leasure is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Campo Verde High School for AZPreps365.com.

GILBERT, Ariz.— As the Campo Verde baseball season comes to a halt, the team faces much uncertainty. 

“It’s been tough on the team that we’re not allowed to continue, especially the seniors,” head coach Shawn Dukes said. “These poor kids have been stripped of their senior year and their life and no clear answer has been given to us.”

Since schools have been closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Dukes is staying in contact with players through phone and social media. He is making sure they are staying in shape in case the season resumes. 

“I’m making sure players can meet in pairs to get throwing and hitting sessions in,” Dukes said. “It’s been difficult to do that since we can’t meet as a team and we can’t use the field or other school facilities.”

Campo Verde hopes its season doesn’t end on a bad note. Their last game before the season stoppage was March 6 against the Sunnyslope Vikings in a 10-9 loss. 

Campo Verde struggled to begin the season, losing its first three games to open up conference play. 

“It’s uncharted territory we are in and it’s been heartbreaking,” Dukes said. “This is my last season coaching the team and I don’t want our last game we played to be my last moments with the team.”

Dukes has been frustrated by the uncertainty of the season and the rest of the school year.  

“Myself and the players don’t know how long this closure is going to go on for,” Dukes said. “The seniors don’t even know if they are going to have to make up the rest of their senior year in summer school.”  

For players, the uncertainty of when and if the season continues is hard to accept.

“It’s tough to handle that I may have played my last game with the team without even knowing it,” senior Isaiah Lopez said. “I am holding on to that little hope we will be back soon.” 

Lopez said he has been using the time off from school to get caught up with academics and to stay in shape.  

“I’ve been doing as much as possible to get my mind off the events going on right now,” Lopez said. “The team has a group chat, so we make sure how everybody is doing and that everybody is getting workouts in.”

It hasn’t been too difficult for the team to get workouts in despite the field and gyms being closed. 

“A lot of players fortunately have batting cages and areas to throw,” senior Noah Bradley said. “Doing the simple workouts such as lifting and playing catch at the park is not difficult to do.”

Bradley said the team has to have the mentality that the season will continue and that they will be ready for it.

“We’re just trying to work out every day, even with the circumstances going on right now,” Bradley said. “Being stuck at home and away from my teammates is difficult though.”