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From the Bench: History on Hold as Indians Baseball Team's Unequaled Title Run Halted by Coronavirus

By Jeff Toquinto on April 05, 2020 from Sports Blog via Connect-Bridgeport.com

It was just around 50 degrees Tuesday afternoon and the air had a bit of a nip to it. Not ideal for lounging outside, but the fact that the cloudy skies weren’t going to release rain until around 6 p.m. would usually be automatically good news for Robert Shields.
 
Heading into what should be his 34th year of coaching the Bridgeport High School baseball team, if all things were equal, I’d be telling you how the Indians’ season-opening contest at home against Grafton turned out right now.
 
I’m not. Everyone, of course, knows why.
 
“I feel terrible for the kids,” said Shields. “The overall situation is just sad. I understand why it’s taking place, but it’s still awfully hard to face as a coach with a team that wants to play.”
 
Shields’ squad isn’t unlike any of the other spring sports teams that have their seasons currently on pause with a strong possibility that it won’t resume lingering in the background. His squad isn’t unlike the Tribe’s boys’ basketball team that was still competing for a chance at the states when the Coronavirus turned everything – including the sports world – upside down.
 
They’re all hurting. All wanting to compete; no team feeling it worse than any other.
 
Yet, there is one difference with the BHS baseball team. The Tribe was heading into the season looking to make history. More to the point, the Indians were heading into the season looking to extend history.
 
“Extending the record isn’t a concern right now. What is a concern is out of this group we’ve got several boys that want to play college baseball, which hasn’t been the case with several of our state title teams,” said Shields. “Those kids who would play their hearts out with the hope of that state title and getting noticed won’t have that chance. I feel bad for all the kids that have worked hard, but those are the ones I really feel for.”
 
Shields, like most coaches, downplay his team’s abilities or just how good they might be to an extent. It’s the nature of what coaches do. Yet, even before the season was put on hold with a possible cancellation, he wasn’t following script. And he wasn’t this past week.
 
“We got nine practices in and we looked really good and that was without about five basketball players,” said Shields. “This team has the makings of a team able to get back to Charleston. We looked solid defensively, have some guys that can hit, and we had a team that showed the possibility of having really good depth.”
 
Whether Shields finds out of his optimism is correct remains to be seen. With school closures now moved to April 30, the possibility of getting a season in is limited at best.
 
“Until we find out for sure from the WVSSAC I’m going to hold out a bit of hope, but I’m paying attention. I just don’t feel good about it,” said Shields. “The worse it gets across the nation it makes the chances slimmer and slimmer. I thought I had seen it all in all my years, but nothing like this. It’s the worst thing I’ve been through as a coach.”
 
Shields has coached after floods. He’s moved games last minute to suitable playing fields to beat the weather. He coached the day of a funeral. This, however, couldn’t be planned for.
 
“You don’t expect it. How could you? What makes it worse is we’ve had pretty weather for a lot of the practices we got in and the weather for our first few weeks looked amazing,” said Shields. “Then this comes. It just adds to it.”
 
Now a team that had plenty of starters back, including all-staters Nick Stalnaker and Ryan Goff, may not see the field. They may not get a chance, at least the seniors, to extend the state’s title streak to seven games.
 
While that opportunity may be lost, the hope for college is one opportunity Shields hopes to be able to help on.
 
“If I have a kid that wants to play college ball and has the ability, you can bet I’m going to do whatever I can to make that happen. Hopefully, they’ll get their own chance to audition for some coaches in a limited window, but if that doesn’t happen then I’ll make calls,” said Shields “That’s what I’m supposed to do no matter the situation. I just know the window for anything happening is really narrow right now.”
 
Editor's Note: Top photo shows Coach Robert Shields, while returning all-staters Nick Stalnaker and Ryan Goff, respectively, are shown in the next two photos. Photos by Ben Queen Photography.


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