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More than 600 youngsters sign up to play with Ceres Youth Baseball & Softball Organization
Jacob Mendoza Ceres A's
Jacob Mendoza and the Ceres A’s 5-and-under boys t-ball team competed against the Ceres Braves during Opening Day of Ceres Youth Baseball & Softball Organization’s 45th season on April 15 at Costa Fields. - photo by Dale Butler

Parking was hard to find during Opening Day for Ceres Youth Baseball & Softball Organization’s 45th season this past weekend.

It was an eventful Saturday at George Costa Ball Field Complex as players, families and community members celebrated the start of what should be another fun-filled year.

“A lot of people enjoyed what we had this year,” said Daniel Guzman, public relations coordinator. “Every season, we strive to make things bigger and better for the kids. There’s been a lot of improvement.”

Ceres Youth Baseball & Softball (CYBS) hired a live DJ for its Opening Day.

Music played as youngsters had their faces painted and jumped up and down in a bounce house.

Attendees flashed smiles and funny faces at the Candid Camper Photo Booth. Cupcake Boutique served goodies. Picture Day ran from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Opening Ceremony started at 2 p.m. as Daniel Martinez represented the Ceres City Council.

Mayor Javier Lopez attended Opening Day in the morning before catching a flight to Washington D.C.

Adrian Magdaleno threw out the first pitch for baseball in memory of Joe Carrillo, who passed away earlier this year.

Carrillo’s wife Keri and daughter Cristina were in attendance.

Carrillo was affiliated with CYBS for 20-plus years.

“I played for coach Joe my last year,” Guzman said. “He was really caring. If you were having a bad day, he’d check to see how you were doing. He was a standup guy. He helped shape this league into the family-friendly environment it is today.”

John Haarsma threw out the first pitch for softball.

“We wanted to give him recognition,” Guzman said. “He was a long-standing staple of CYBS as well.”

T-ball games were staged the remainder of the day.

More than 600 boys and girls signed up for the organization’s 2023 recreational season.

The league is comprised of 49 teams, including 36 baseball and 13 softball.

There are six divisions for baseball players: 5 & under, 7 & under, 8 & under, 10 & under, 12 & under and 15 & under.

Baseball games will be played on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

There are four divisions for softball players: 6 & under, 8 & under, 10 & under and 13 & under.

The girls play on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturday.

CYBS’s board consists of 10 people: Guzman (Umpire in Charge Baseball-Softball/Public Relations Coordinator), Gerardo Hernandez (President), David Rubio (Vice President-Baseball), Nikole Ferrel (Vice President-Softball), Sierra De Leon (Secretary), Gina Nilsson (Treasurer), Ralph Valencia (Sponsor Coordinator), Melissa Baldwin (Registration Coordinator), Miko Alcaraz (Uniform Coordinator) and Roseanna Quiroga (Fundraiser Coordinator).

“We have a rich tradition,” Guzman said. “We have people come back and volunteer their time. We have a lot of former players turned coaches. It speaks to the environment we create. It’s such a positive atmosphere.”

Former CYBS player Nicole “Sis” Bates donated Adidas cleats to the organization.

Bates, a 2016 Ceres High grad/three-time All-American middle infielder at the University of Washington and Athletes Unlimited professional player, was named to the U.S. Women’s National Softball Team’s WBSC World Cup roster on Friday.

“She’s giving back to the community she grew up in,” Guzman said. “A lot of kids in this area look up to her.”

Three years removed from having its season canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Ceres Youth Baseball & Softball League has returned to a long-desired sense of normalcy.

The organization had an enrollment size of 550 during the 2021 COVID-shortened campaign.

“We’re starting to see an uptick in our numbers,” Guzman said. “This is our second full season since COVID. We’re glad more kids are signing up and things are going back to normal.”

Marcelo Guerra
Marcelo Guerra races to first base during the Ceres Braves’ 5-and-under boys t-ball team’s season-opening game versus the Ceres A’s. - photo by Dale Butler
Ceres Stars’ 5-6-year-old girls t-ball team
Members of the Ceres Stars’ 5-6-year-old girls t-ball team were all smiles during the Opening Day Ceremony of the Ceres Youth Baseball & Softball Organization’s 45th season on Saturday at Costa Fields.