On Saturday, April 12, Tri-City high school varsity baseball teams from James Logan and Newark Memorial went head-to-head at their second consecutive game of the season. However, this league game was different.
The game was held where hundreds of iconic players and baseball moments have taken place: Oracle Park in San Francisco.
James Logan’s varsity baseball team was invited to the San Francisco Giants high school showcase because of their impressive standing over recent years—including last year’s ranking of top 25 in the area—amongst other competitive teams in the Bay Area including Petaluma and Burlingame High Schools.
“[Giants staff] reached out to us and gave us a couple dates to pick and we felt that a game against Newark, who have been our rival for so many years, would be a great opportunity for us to showcase not only the talent for our own team, but the talent we have within our league,” said James Logan head coach Luis Soto.
After the Logan Colts’ first league loss in two years in their previous game against the Newark Cougars, 6-5, on April 9, the team had to mentally prepare for the game, as well as the new environment.
“We work on this on a daily basis, in being able to take a step back, just being able to breathe and, what we call, find our focal point, resetting and being able to play the game,” said Soto.
That preparedness went to good use when the team stepped onto the field to see the 42,000-seat stadium from the field. “That was humbling, to see how huge the stadium actually is,” said Soto.
Senior pitcher Jordan Medina said, “Since I was little, that has always been a top goal for me. I felt like I was actually a part of an MLB team and the feeling was so amazing.”
The teams had the chance to also take advantage of some of the facility’s amenities like true professional players, including the dugout and the bullpen. “To be in the same bullpen as someone like Logan Webb, that’s something,” said Soto.
Junior pitcher and outfielder Westley Vega said, “Being able to put myself into the shoes of the people that I look up to and get to see on TV was just unreal.”
When it came to the team’s 4-0 win, Logan secured three runs in the first two innings and their final run in the fourth.
Said Soto, “At the plate we did struggle a bit. [Noah] Hanohano, the opposing pitcher—he’s a great pitcher, probably one of the best pitchers in our league—struck us out 13 times. But we were able to find little things to take advantage of and we were successfully able to get some hits, execute some punts and score some runs.”
The Newark Memorial team took to social media, posting, “Not the outcome we wanted, but a beautiful day for baseball and an awesome experience.”
“Being able to put myself into the shoes of the people that I look up to and get to see on TV was just unreal”
– James Logan Pitcher and Outfielder Westley Vega
When reflecting on the game Medina said, “My team performed really well this game, we won 4-0 and had high energy before the game and from the first pitch to the last.”
This unique chance to experience the game at a whole new level gave the players an opportunity to gain new perspectives on the sport. “I learned that every game should be appreciated. Whether it’s on a messed-up field, or at Oracle Park. The game is special and every game is worth taking in,” said Vega.
The game left an impression on Medina who shared the lesson that he walked away with after playing at Oracle Park. “Getting the opportunity to play on a major league field made me want to work even harder to make that an everyday type deal.”
Soto expressed his appreciation to the administration, both school principals and athletic directors for communicating with both teams and coordinating the event so well.
“Overall, it was a great experience, everyone was all in this together,” said Soto. “Even though only one team gets to win, in the end we all won because of the experience.”
