Pedro Carranza, the head baseball coach at Brawley Union High School, took it to another level in talking about his team's predicament during this COVID-affected season.
"We're living on borrowed time, so we're just happy to play," said the coach, whose Wildcats (12-2 in league, 16-7 overall), are already out of school for the summer.
Carranza put things this season in the wider perspective of the fact the team's ace pitcher had to take care of other things instead of playing during the 2021 Spring season. Like: "His father's cancer got worse, so he had to go away." The dad would not have been helped by being exposed to COVID, to say the least; in fact, very possibly adversely. "So we knew we didn't have him (the son, who is a pitcher)."
The Wildcats have a cause, and they have a reason to be grateful. So when they travel the two hours from the desert to face San Dieguito Academy in a play-in game Tues., June 8, they're already doing much more than the school said they would be able to do this year.
"My A.D. (Athletic Director) told us (at the peak of COVID earlier in the year) just to expect to practice this year. Don't expect to play any games," said Carranza by phone Tuesday morning, shortly before the team headed out from the desert.
"We're thankful, because of this (pandemic situation) we're pretty united and we have a good group of kids. We've grown as human beings more than anything else," the coach said. "We're blessed (just to be playing)."
If Brawley beats SDA, who gains the home game by virtue of being a league champion--though Brawley is seeded higher, 7th seed to 10th seed--Carranza will probably start righthander Jesus Cisneros against La Jolla Wed., June 9. at 3:30 a.m. at LJHS's home field. "He throws strikes," said Carranza. "He throws really hard." Cisneros stands six feet tall.
"We would normally would be playing travel ball. Like everybody else, we were affected by COVID," said the coach. "No one did anything until (sports were okayed to start). We are six to seven weeks behind. Our community did not let us get on the field. We haven't won a game in San Diego the whole year, and it shows."
Carranza's plan was to start righthander Fernando Noriega against SDA Tuesday.
"(Without our ace, who sat out) we don't have one dominant pitcher. Everybody we throw is (good). We won't have a dropoff from one pitcher to another," said the head coach.
The coach is in summer school right now, with the challenging 2020-2021 school year already let out for the summer.
Said Carranza, "Our motto is, whatever we can do to get out there (and play) is positive. Everything we're afforded (is a plus)." "So we're pretty thankful. We're blessed."
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