Jordan coach Bryan Whitfield doesn’t particularly want to hear anyone else’s complaints about rainy weather messing up their practice schedule. Because Jordan’s construction is still underway, the team doesn’t have a baseball field on campus, and has had to walk over to Houghton Park to get their work in.
That has presented its own set of problems.
“Every practice starts with trying to pick up all the trash on the field and get the homeless people to move so our kids can get to work,” said Whitfield. “We’ve got these nice pitching machines but the electric panel there has had problems so we can’t use them. The kids are disappointed we have to go to the park and deal with the nonsense but once we get there, the field is our sanctuary. We have a great group of guys, it doesn’t matter to them, they just do what they need to do. They see there’s two coaches that are committed to the program, and as long as we show the drive, then the kids show the drive.”
Whitfield’s excitement for the year centers in large part on Adrian Lopez, a returning senior all-Moore League pitcher who put in a ton of work this offseason to improve.
“He’s put on a lot of weight, he’s been lifting, he’s really transformed his body,” said Whitfield.
Also expected to contribute are Jesse Chavira, Alberto Flores, and transfer pitchers Aaron and Jacob Martinez.
Whitfield has put together a schedule that he hopes will give his team some confidence going into the league schedule.
“It’s been tough practicing at the park,” said Lopez. “The field is bad so you can’t get true bounces from the ball. I think we’re going to be able to play with anybody in league this year, though.”
Whitfield said he sees something different from his team this year, and he’s excited to see what happens on the field.
“We have a lot more depth than last year, and it’s pushing our guys, you can see them pushing each other,” said Whitfield. “There’s a quiet confidence there. It’s a lot of pride that’s being restored over here at Jordan.”
Long Beach High School Baseball Preview
With the high school baseball season starting two weeks earlier this year due to a calendar shift by the CIF State office, local players have had to trade their bats for umbrellas.
