GALION — Mansfield Senior’s Aiden Crider just wants closure.
Like every other participant in Saturday’s planned Farewell Game at Heise Park, Crider missed his senior baseball season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the opportunity to suit up one final time presented itself, the pitcher and infielder jumped at the chance.
“I was super bummed out we didn’t get to play our (high school) season and when I saw the post about the game on social media, I thought even if it doesn’t go the way I want it to, it’s at least one last game I can play before I wrap up my high school career,” Crider said.
The game is the brainchild of Galion Graders general manager Mike O’Leary. The Graders had their Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League season canceled because of the health crisis and O’Leary wanted to do something for the graduating seniors and the community.
Seniors from Richland and Morrow counties will take on seniors from Crawford and Marion county at 7 p.m. as the centerpiece of the Graders 14u tournament. Galion’s fireworks display will immediately follow the game.
“The kids are excited,” O’Leary said. “There is a lot of cool stuff happening in the park at the same time. There’s the 14u tournament and then there are fireworks afterward. It’s a community engagement event.”
O’Leary is still trying to balance out the rosters, but each team should have about 15 players. Crider will be joined by Senior High teammate Nick Sayers, as well as Shelby’s Evan Bogner, Austin Gray, Carter Smith and Blaise Caudill and Lucas’ Logan Niswander, among others.
“I’ve been playing with him since the Sterkel Park days, maybe 10 or 12 years ago,” Crider said. “It will be good to play with him one final time.”
The teams have been holding workouts this week in the run-up to the game. For Crider, that meant knocking off months of rust.
“The first time I took real batting practice was a week ago and then I went to practice (Tuesday) and I felt really rusty,” Crider said. “I haven’t played organized baseball since last year.
“It was a breath of fresh air getting back out there,” he said.
While the Farewell Game was born out of desperation, O’Leary said the Graders may continue to sponsor the event after things return to normal.
“We’ve talked about it and I would love to do it every year,” O’Leary said. “If it turns out well, it would be cool to keep doing it.”
