Baseball: Players are stranded in Mexico
The triumphant return of five Southern California high school baseball players who won gold medals playing for the USA 18U team in Mexico has been delayed.
The team was in La Paz, Mexico, on Sunday when the area experienced rain and wind from the effects of Hurricane Odile. The gold medal game against Cuba was canceled in the third inning, and the team has been trying to get out of the area ever since.
San Clemente Coach Dave Gellatly, who had two players, Kolby Allard and Lucas Herbert, on the team, said Tuesday the players might not make it back to school until Monday.
On Wednesday, USA Baseball announced the team was leaving via Tijuana.
Allard, Herbert, Blake Rutherford of Chaminade, Peter Lambert of San Dimas and Kyle Molnar of Aliso Niguel all are going to have to catch up on school work and homework, because they’ve been away for weeks playing for the USA 18U team. Also part of the team serving as an assistant coach was Mater Dei’s Burt Call.
Gellatly can’t wait for the baseball season to come, because no high school coach in America will be able to say they have a battery of gold medal winners with Allard on the mound and Herbert behind the plate. They are among eight returning starters for San Clemente, one of the top teams expected in Southern Section Division 2.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity as a coach,” Gellatly said. “They’re two great kids and best friends.”
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
