Lovelock adult softball starts this week
One of Lovelock’s favorite summer activities is about to start its fourth season. According to Jared Jensen, “The Lovelock Softball Association has seen some shift of teams, so we will have different names for a lot of them.” They’ll have to come up with some good ones.
How do you beat Thick N Wild, the Sandlot Junkies, Thunder Ducks, Brew Crew, Swamp Donkeys, Outkast, Weekend Warriors and the Swingers? It will be tough but stay tuned.
Starting Monday, June 7, seven teams will compete against each other in David McDougal Memorial Park. They’ll play Mondays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The coed league is open to anyone 16 or over.
Many high school athletes participate, along with recent grads and more seasoned ballplayers. Teens and retirees find common ground at the ballpark.
Sometimes the scene seems right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Spectators gather in the cool of the evening. Little kids play on the slide within eyeshot of the adults.
People bring coolers from home to share with their friends and family. Sometimes a dog or two lets you pet them. Lorri Happy’s pocket rocket, Menace, is a crowd favorite. Jensen is grateful for the community support.
In 2019, Jensen’s first year as league president, a player suffered a medical emergency on the field. Teammates performed lifesaving actions until an ambulance came. The patient survived and thrived. Later, Jensen remarked that it was his best memory of the season.
In 2020, the LSA navigated the coronavirus. They got a later start than usual and made several changes. Nonetheless, 80 to 100 ballplayers showed up to play about a dozen games.
They maintained a safe environment without cancellations.
This summer, Jensen hopes to offer an adult softball tournament June 25 – 27. Teams will pay $300 to join.
“We hope to get all of our league signed up and, hopefully, some from other towns,” he said. New board members Jesse Canchola, Amanda Holland and Sean Luna will pitch in with their expertise.
Like Jensen, Canchola is an asst. baseball coach at the high school. He and Luna also coach beginning ballplayers on the youth teams. Holland supports Lovelock youth soccer.
The recreation board has been supportive of the softball association. They’re planning upgrades to the fields.
Longterm, PCHS principal Jonathan Reynolds hopes to get McDougal to the same caliber as the Winnemucca Sports Complex or close to it.
“I’d like to thank Lisa Booth, Cassie West and Lindsey Williams for bringing adult softball back to Lovelock and for all the work they’ve done over the last few years getting the league to where it’s at,” said Jensen. “We will try to continue to grow the league.”
Fast facts about the Lovelock
Softball Association
• Trevor and Daphne Gurley started the club the summer of 2018. That year, Jim’s Point S (later known as the Swingers) won the championship.
• In 2019, Thick N Wild seized the title with a final score of 17-11.
• In Aug. 2020, Thick N Wild beat the Swingers 18-14 in seven innings. Thick N Wild are the defending champions.
• Jared Jensen took over as president of the LSA in 2019. He is also an asst. baseball coach for the high school. Jensen plays outfield for the Swingers.
Who was David McDougal?
David A. McDougal (1956-1982) was born in La Jolla, California, to a ranching family. McDougal graduated from PCHS in 1975 and attended UNR.
Later, he became a pilot. He died at the age of 26 in a helicopter accident near Mount St. Helens while on assignment for the State of Washington.