Will Baseball Return?
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
Baseball in Opelousas and perhaps parishwide needs some help, says City Alderman John Guilbeaux.
It might take some time, says Guilbeaux, but there’s a chance that a recreational league sport that seemingly left the city years ago now has a chance to make a comeback.
Guilbeaux and members of a Little League committee met Thursday afternoon at the Delta Grand in Opelousas to discuss a March registration drive and plans that include revitalizing youth Opelousas baseball and softball programs that target a 9-14 age group.
Despite being located in the Opelousas parks, Guilbeaux said eligibility to play baseball and softball is open to all St. Landry Parish youths.
“What we want to do immediately is increase our participation. That’s going to take some effort. Right now we want to start signing up kids to play ball and then teach them the game.
“Some of these kids may not have had the opportunity to play baseball. We also want to have them learn to become competitive and learn structure, something they will use later on in their lives,” Guilbeaux said.
Guilbeaux said the city recreation department will be tasked with preparing the parks and the baseball fields within them to become playable.
Admittedly nearly all the games this year will have to be played at North City Park, Guilbeaux said.
The completion of Phase 1 for the Donald Gardner Stadium project destroyed two of the usable and normally best-maintained baseball fields in South City Park in order to make room for a paved vehicle parking lot.
One of the South City Park baseball fields that is now a memory, had the correct playing field dimensions for Internationally-recognized Little League baseball, while the other field, built at the same time 70 years ago, was used initially for playing men and women’s softball.
There is possibly some space at South City Park for games that will now be lodged next to the new pickleball area and the sand volleyball court.
“”There’s a lot of room to play baseball in North City Park and we will have to get those (baseball) diamonds ready,” Guilbeaux said.
Running The Program
At this point Guilbeaux said former Lafayette Housing Director Walter Guillory will oversee the Opelousas program.
Guillory, said Guilbeaux, has the experience to organize and run a program.
“Walter will be in charge of running the leagues and getting all the fields ready to go,” Guilbeaux added.
Guillory will probably require some financial assistance to operate the baseball and softball leagues, according to Guilbeaux.
Registering The Players
The cost for participation is $25 per child, but Guilbeaux said there will be some financial help provided if needed.
Participants can register online by using a scan code or they can apply in person at the Teen Center which is open from 8 am until 5 pm in South City Park on Monday through Thursday.
Uniforms
Guilbeaux said he doesn’t feel that there will be difficulty in acquiring sponsors and donations to help provide caps and uniforms for the teams.
“We’ve had some people already step up and pledge financial help for these kids. There are some people who have contacted us and who are interested, while we are contacting others.
“There are people interested in providing donations and who want to get involved in order to have active baseball leagues here once again,” Guilbeaux said.
