MARBLEHEAD — High School athletes in Massachusetts had their hopes for a spring season extinguished after the coronavirus pandemic forced school and sport closures for the rest of the year. For seniors on the Marblehead baseball team, that means they won’t have the chance to shine on the diamond one last time.
“I was trying to be positive and kept hoping,” senior Ryan Masters said. “At the same time you always had this doubt in the back of your head. I was upset right when I heard the news but there really wasn’t anything you can do about it.”
“It’s a tough way to end your baseball career,” fellow Magician Luke Curtis said. “No one thought that this was going to happen our senior year. But stuff happens and you just try to deal with it the best you can.”
Another senior, Erick Gonzalez had been a starter for the Magicians since his freshman year and was excited to see what Marblehead could accomplish in his final year on the diamond.
“Obviously not what we expected,” Gonzalez said. “I really thought we had something special going into this year. We had a good team with some good chemistry. We had really bonded over the years and to see that taken away before it even started, it’s heartbreaking for all of us.”
Magicians head coach Mike Giardi, along with coaches around the state, held out hope as long as he could that this wouldn’t become the reality for his players.
“I feel for the kids,” Giardi said. “It’s a challenging time for everyone and it’s a time to do what’s best even if it’s unfortunate. We were holding out hope for some kind of modified season. I think it’s starting to take its toll on everyone mentally and physically.”
On the field, Gonzalez, Masters and Curtis were primed to have impact years for Marblehead after following different paths to their senior seasons, said Giardi.
“Ryan was coming off an injury his junior year and we were excited to get him back at full strength,” Giardi said. “Curtis was back and forth on varsity his sophomore and junior years but he was definitely going to have a huge impact. (Gonzalez) had been starting since he was a freshman so we were very confident in what he brought to us.”
The Magicians had put in plenty of work over the offseason to try to make the best of their final seasons before things turned sideways.
“Before the season we had a bunch of guys going to the gym, using the batting cages, going onto the turf and working there, we were really active,” Gonzalez said. “We had the pitchers going too. We were ready for the season and that’s why it’s disappointing.”
“It’s really all the offseason work you put in,” Curtis said. “As a team we were keeping up to date in the early spring, making sure everyone was doing homework and working on their arms.”
“I had a shoulder injury that held me out for our first 10 games last year.” Masters said. “I only got out there at the end of the season and I was really looking forward to starting strong this year.”
All three Magicians have plans to continue their education in college, but their athletic careers have come to an early end. Masters, who grew up with a love for the water, will be attending Mass Maritime Academy while Curtis found the right fit at University of New Hampshire. Gonzalez will attend UMass Amherst as business major.
“We’ve been talking to the kids just trying to help anyway we can with college plans or any summer baseball opportunities,” Giardi said. “Luckily I’d say 90 percent of the seniors have plans for next year. For a lot of kids, high school is the last chance they’ll have to be an athlete. Even the organized schedule of the life of a student-athlete will disappear after high school. It’s unfair.”