It's a typical summer for the Jefferson City Jays and Helias Crusaders baseball teams. Yet, it's quite different at the same time.
They've played in a local league during the summer for several years. What separates the 2020 league is it didn't follow a spring season, among other variances.
The players and coaches have been chomping at the bit since mid-March to take the field for competition.
"When they showed up to our youth camp (Tuesday morning), they were so excited just to be on a baseball field," Jays coach Kyle Lasley said following the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against one of Helias' two summer league teams. "It's amazing how much just a month or two months away can do. I was just so excited to be out there."
It's been a strange spring for Helias assistant coach Chris Ebright, who hasn't even had enough time with the team since joining the staff in February to learn everyone's name.
"But I've got nicknames for them all, so that's what we go by," Ebright said after the Crusaders defeated the Jays 11-6 in five innings in the first game of the doubleheader.
The Jays won the second game 2-0.
It was close to business as usual at Vivion Field, as about 150 fans sat in the bleachers and bought snacks and refreshments from the concession stand.
On the field, players were just trying to get back in the swing of things after working on their own for a couple months.
"I said the biggest word I want you guys to focus on is competing. And that's it," Lasley said. "If you compete, you know you can control that, your effort and all that. I really wanted those guys just come out here with a lot of energy, compete their butts off, have a lot of focus and have fun.
"After the first week, two weeks, we get some swings underneath our belt, we start throwing to some batters and we start fielding ground balls live and all that stuff, it'll come back to them. It's just a matter of time."
Jays leadoff batter Taylor Hopkins was ready to go, ripping a double down the left-field line and later scoring on a wild pitch.
Jacob Duke made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly.
In the fourth, Dawson Schuemann and Joe Hoerchler smacked back-to-back RBI singles and Schuemann scored the game's sixth run on a wild pitch.
The game shifted in the fifth as 10 walks, singles from Kaden Hampson, Cole Peters and Braden Scheulen, and an error led to an 11-run outburst.
Billy Underwood finished off the victory by tossing a 1-2-3 inning.
"We became tough outs, good things happen, you play the game right," Ebright said.
Underwood threw 1 innings with a strikeout and a walk. Nathan Roark allowed two runs in two innings, striking out three and walking a pair while giving up just one hit. Carson Hayes pitched 1 innings.
Somewhat expected for Lasley, the Jays' pitching got off to a rocky start with the first three Helias batters reaching base before Wyatt Fischer got out of it with three strikeouts.
"Pitching is just going to be one of the things the next couple of weeks where we're just going to have to throw everybody at them and throw strikes, hopefully, and just try to compete up there," Lasley said.
Both teams will be back playing at 6 p.m. Thursday with Helias hosting Capital City at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex and Jefferson City playing at Fatima.
The league's schedule, which goes through July 9, has had numerous revisions with different road blocks popping up. But at least there are games to be played.
"Sitting around this whole spring, you could tell these kids were antsy," Ebright said. "It's great to be back actually on a field."