BCC cancels remainder of ’08 softball season

BARSTOW — Injuries on top of injuries finally took their toll on the Barstow Community College softball team.

The Vikings’ canceled the remaining 12 games of their season on March 13. Interim Athletic Director Kim Ensing said the decision was made to protect the players from further injury with the advice of the California Community College Athletic Association.

“It came to the point where we had too many players playing with injuries that could have been detrimental to their overall health and well being,” Ensing said.

The Vikings finished the season winless with a roster that fluctuated from game to game. After beginning the season with just a handful of players at the opening practice, the Vikings fielded a team of 11 during their final game.

“I kind of expected it, but it still hurt because I love to play softball,” sophomore pitcher Santos Rodarte said.

Injuries were a factor before the season even began. Several women’s basketball players were scheduled to join the softball team but couldn’t because of injuries. The Vikings had two pitchers but no catchers, forcing Rodarte play catcher.

The canceled season won’t have an impact next season, Ensing said. The coaches and Ensing will begin meeting to talk about recruiting in the coming weeks.

Vikings softball coach Mike Peloza was out of town dealing with a death in the family and could not be reached for comment.
Peloza, who is a basketball coach, was a last minute solution for the program. With just enough time to begin practices, Peloza was not afforded the chance to do any recruiting.

“It was a challenge to get a coach in place for many reasons,” Ensing said.

The softball program hasn’t had a stellar record in the three seasons since it was brought back after a hiatus.

In the Vikings’ inaugural season in 2006, Barstow won one game with a 10-player roster. The team earned several victories in the following season, but played many games with just nine players. In three seasons, the Vikings have had three coaches.

Barstow played it’s final game on March 12 with a 34-1 loss against Victor Valley Community College. The game marked the opening of the team’s refurbished field on the Barstow Community College campus.

Rodarte, who hit a home run to score the Vikings lone run in the final game, was hoping to use her time at Barstow Community College to spring board to a softball scholarship at a four-year university.

“It affects me a lot,” Rodarte said. “I need softball to go somewhere. I’m going to try to do what I can to make it on my own.”
Despite the minimal number of players in recent years, Rodarte said she believes the team can become a success as long as their someone to sell the positives of attending BCC to potential recruits.

Freshman pitcher Heather Mathews was also hoping to spin her experience with the Vikings into a scholarship.

Mathews had offers to play for schools in Northern Nevada but decided to follow her family, who relocated to Barstow in the last year. She said she wants to use her last year of junior college eligibility at BCC.

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