By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
There will not be any summer collegiate baseball at Rathert Field in Junction City this summer. The general manager for the Brigade baseball team, Cecil Aska, informed JC Post on Wednesday that the team will not play this season.
Aska noted that team officials reviewed the Governor's COVID-19 reopening plans and guidelines provided by the Geary County Health Department. "Vetting all of our options and just trying to divest this whole situation we've decided that's in the best interest of our fans, the players, our host families, our employees, the vendors and our sponsors and everybody we work with, it's probably best that we cancel the 2020 season."Aska said the team will work hard and adjust to whatever the new norm is in order to be stronger and better for the 2021 season. The team will return for the 2021 campaign.
Aska indicated the biggest problem for this season is the unpredictability of the situation. "They had announced that ( Phase ) 1.5, and then yesterday ( Tuesday ) the Governor came out with an adjustment and a new plan. " Governor Kelly is implementing a modified Phase 2 step this Friday, which is currently scheduled to run until June 8. Aska asked, "So what happens next week? Is there going to be some other adjustment?
Aska observed that health officials are looking at the COVID-19 numbers and posed the question if they raise would there be a return to Phase 1. "Those are the kind of things that we're looking at. What happens if we did get a player on the team that has those symptoms, or is confirmed to have it? Does that mean the whole team has to go into quarantine and how are we going to do that?"
The Brigade were scheduled to host approximately 20 home games, the Mid Plains League All Star Game, and possibly some playoff games. Aska confirmed the All Star Game cannot happen at Rathert Field this summer, and the League has been informed.
The Brigade were the defending Mid Plains League Cowdin Cup champions going into the 2020 season.