It may not be the same thing as the high school spring season, but it does get promising high school athletes back on the field.
While the high school and summer leagues were canceled amid the pandemic, the new Essex County Baseball League has sprouted up.
"It felt great to be out there," said Methuen player Derek Hoh. "That's all we want to do, we just want to play."
"He lost his junior year playing, which is tough," said Beverly parent Kelly Brennan. "That's when a lot of college coaches are looking and recruiting."
It gives high school baseball players a second chance.
"It was fun," said Methuen player Mitchell Canavan. "Still a little rusty."
Amateur sports are back in action in Massachusetts, with games now allowed as part of Phase 3.
Teams could only practice when Phase 2 started.
Still, in the midst of COVID-19, there's always a reminder to be as safe as possible.
More on Massachusetts' reopening plan
"I was actually trying to call him in the bullpen to see if he had his mask on," said Brennan. "It's weird."
Despite the new opportunity to play, students will always wonder what could have been this past spring.
"It was unbelievably tough," said Beverly player Matthew Ploszay. "I was looking forward to that for so long, we've been working for it our whole high school lives since we were younger, trying to win a state championship with our best friends, and something we'll never be able to achieve. We thought we had a ton of potential. We'll never be able to find out how far we really could have gone."
