Covid has affected many people and places on many different levels. People have gone out of business, lost loved ones, gotten sick, etc. This is nothing to play around with which is why Pennridge takes so many precautions to keep its school safe. The baseball team specifically has been given many rules this year they have to follow to simply be able to play. Coach Whitten said, “Kids have to do a google form to check temperature and symptoms; if they answer yes to any, they can’t come.  There is to be no shared equipment, we have many breaks to clean, and mask breaks.” Along with that, there was a new mask rule enforced recently that as long as the kids aren’t within 6 feet of each other they are allowed to not wear a mask. 

The Pennridge baseball team was unable to play last year due to Covid and are lucky enough to play this year. The previous year, they had an overall record of 5-13 and a conference record of 1-9. The baseball team will not have a Freshman team this year which means there will be more freshmen making the JV team. The coaches are taking just as many, if not more, kids than the previous years because they know they need people to play if some of them get Covid. If someone were to get Covid, then they would have to wait “6 days, and then after a negative test, you could return to play. Without a test, students would be quarantined for 14 days. It depends what is considered close contact” Coach Whitten said.

The final cuts will be March 12 and from there the team will be looking forward to playing CB West and East, as well as North Penn. The team will be able to play 16 games, not including the scrimmages they play and non-league games. Their first scrimmage is soon after cuts, taking place on March 17. The first game will take place on March 29. Compared to the previous years, Coach Whitten hasn’t been able to practice nearly as much as he’d like with the games slowly creeping up as well. 

In the end, the Pennridge Baseball Team and coaches are truly just happy to play due to the cancellation of last year’s season. They are all willing to follow whatever precautions are thrown at them just so that they are able to play. They are hoping to bounce back from their last season’s record being 5-13.