The Ukiah High Baseball Team is excited to announce their game against the Cardinal Newman baseball team this Saturday at 1:00 pm at the San Francisco Giants home field Oracle Park!
UHS News spoke to head coach Aaron Ford about the amazing opportunity UHS has received.
Ford told us that he was contacted by Cardinal Newman’s head baseball coach Derek DeBenedetti who invited a variety of Wildcat baseball players to participate in a game at Oracle Park against the Northern Cardinals. Coach Ford shared how happy he was to receive this opportunity from his fellow coach and friend.
With this exciting opportunity coming up this weekend, the Ukiah High team has been “working tremendously hard throughout their summer, fall, and during the spring season” to prepare for this game, Coach Ford explained.
Calling this an “experience of a lifetime”, Coach Ford believes that all his players have worked hard as a part of the Ukiah High baseball program and deserve this kind of opportunity.
The unique event is bringing the Wildcat community together. As of Monday, April 8th, 2024, the team has sold nearly 500 tickets. “We have our Ukiah Community involved, we have families driving outside of Ukiah to join us, as well as Alumni both in baseball and Ukiah High School, participating in the event by joining us this Saturday!” Ford exclaimed.
As to how the team has been able to prepare for such an experience, Coach Ford recognized that the weather will be very different than Ukiah’s Anton Stadium. The team will “discuss and train for the field dimensions, sun, swirling winds, etc. We will prepare for the field surface that will be fast and true.” Another factor Wildcats need to consider is the is the distance between home plate and the pitcher’s mound“
Coach Ford said ultimately his players have to “show up and compete for 7 innings, have our mind right, compete and minimize the drama that a game like this can create.” Though the venue and environment will be exciting, Coach Ford reassures his players that the game will be, “No different than any other ball game that our boys go out and compete in.”
We hope to see all Wildcats this Saturday at Oracle Park to support their baseball team! Make sure you buy a ticket before you go at this link.
Izabella Nickerson is an editor and chief for the UHS newspaper and a Junior at Ukiah High School. Izabella enjoys playing sports like tennis and volleyball, baking/cooking, and being outdoors. Izabella is creative and hardworking doing her part to make the UHS newspaper informative and entertaining. Izabella has been a part of the UHS news team for 3 years. She enjoys writing about the sports that students participate in at Ukiah High School as well as articles addressing women's rights and more. She would like to continue Journalism and make a career out of it. Becoming a sports journalist or a sports broadcaster.
