As the third day of the first of two Hancock Summer Baseball Camps commenced at Hancock College’s John Osborne Field Wednesday, campers and instructors took part in an enthusiastic game of pickup baseball (actually, the ball was a tennis ball).
“Get there, get there!,” an instructor called on a fly ball between two campers. “Call it!, call it!”
“We got two outs!,” an instructor exclaimed, as a camper threw to a fielder on a makeshift second base for a force out.
Hancock head baseball coach Chris Stevens is helping oversee Hancock’s 25th annual edition of the camps this week. There will be a camp next week as well.
The camps are coed. Youngsters ages 5-13 are eligible.
“We have 36 campers in this camp, and in the camp next week we’re already at 45,” Stevens said.
“Our numbers are down some. Last year we were in the 70’s, up to 90. Average for us is in the 50’s.”
Nonetheless, “It’s been going great,” this year, said Stevens. “Our instructors have been great, and the kids are having a lot of fun.
“We try to keep the kids busy, but we also try to give them some experience.”
Brayden Nunes, 12, and Donny Shiffrar, 11, are veteran Hancock Baseball Camp campers. Nunes has been coming to both winter and summer Hancock camps for six years. Shiffrar has been coming to Hancock winter and summer camps for five.
“I like it that we can learn a bunch more stuff, and that all the kids in the camp are nice,” said Nunes. The right-handed Nunes played shortstop and pitches for the Orcutt American Little League Rangers.
Shiffrar is a right-handed second baseman for the Orcutt National Cardinals.
“What I like most about the camp are the Hancock players,” said Shiffrar. “They’re pretty cool.”
Andrew Sandoval is in his first year of working at a Hancock camp. The freshman Pioneer Valley graduate played shortstop for the Bulldogs this past season.
“I like being out here with the kids and teaching them the right way to play the game,” Sandoval said Wednesday.
“I like seeing them get better. That’s the best part.”
