Mike Wellman is a staff writer for the DMPS communications department. He is also a lifelong Cubs fan who writes regularly about baseball and its history. As the high school baseball and softball season in Iowa got underway – in a context of issues such as a global pandemic and racial injustice – Mike went to Principal Park, where the Roosevelt Roughriders were hosting a double header against Ankeny Centennial, and shared this report.
There was a time when Opening Day in America always featured a day game in Cincinnati – in April. But these are different times, this particular year particularly so, and Opening Day 2020 featured not a big league ballgame in Cincy but a bunch of high school ones all across the state of Iowa.
Ankeny Centennial vs. Roosevelt at Principal Park, for instance, in a twi-night doubleheader played on historic Sec Taylor Field here in Des Moines.
The Riders opened the season ranked #9 in Class 4A by the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association after reaching the sub-state finals a year ago, but they’ll be without the services all summer of their top pitcher, senior southpaw Alec Nigut whose throwing arm is in a sling after elbow surgery.
It was a beautiful day and night for a ballgame or two. What a shame if there hadn’t been any! A reasonably – but not too risky – sized crowd assembled and when one of the fans on the Roosevelt side snagged a foul ball off the bat of Centennial’s leadoff hitter in the top of the 1st, a lusty cheer went up like a collective thanksgiving that a season in doubt was finally underway.
One of the differences between high school baseball and the Triple A professional variety that’s normally played at this venue is that balls fouled into the stands are retrieved by the home team, Roosevelt in this case, and find their way back into play instead of someone’s souvenir chest. But other bells and whistles were operating just like they do when the I-Cubs are playing.
The action streamed live on the giant video board where instant replays of sparkling defensive plays also beamed.
Roosevelt looked like the rustier team in dropping the opener, 4-3. They outhit Centennial 6-5, but the Jags kept the basepaths clogged via walks and capitalized on Rider miscues in building a 4-1 lead through five innings.
The game was knotted at one in the top of the 3rd when a leadoff single was parlayed into three runs with the aid of three walks, a stolen base, two errors, a sacrifice fly and a pair of wild pitches.
Kieran (Bags Packed) Bailey kept the game close with clutch play in bases loaded situations. He ended one AC threat with a fine running catch in the left field corner and escaped two similar jams unscathed after moving to the mound to pitch in relief of starter Nile Foss. Bailey also drove in Roosevelt’s first run on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the 2nd.
Jayden Singleton’s two-run single in the bottom of the 6th brought the Riders within one and he stole second to put the tying run into scoring position but that’s as far as he got. Aidan Brown lined out to center to end the threat.
Centennial’s Trey Morris retired the side in order in the 7th, tossing a complete game to get the win.
Finally, there was this footnote:
When the PA announcer invited everyone to stand for the National Anthem prior to the game, the Roosevelt players opted for a different posture, an equally devout but some would say even more solemn and reverent one. The same one often struck by proposers of marriage and worshippers at prayer. It was a demonstration of concerned citizenship and unity by a team of teenagers. No disrespect was intended. Consider it a plea of allegiance. Afterwards, yes, the star spangled banner did still wave atop the pole beyond the centerfield wall and the golden dome of the state capitol glowed in the distance.
Centennial also won the nightcap, 8-3.
