Yuma debuts new baseball facility
Yuma High School opens a brand new baseball and softball facility on campus ahead of the 2025 season.
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Christmas has come early for the Yuma Criminals because the school has debuted a brand new baseball and softball facility on campus.
"My first reaction was mind blowing," Yuma senior Jaime Ruelas said. "My jaw dropped."
The new facility features batting cages, a bullpen and a fielding space. The dream of turning what was once a sand pit into a state of the art complex took years of planning and numerous local donors.
"It is a dream come true," Yuma head baseball coach Nick Johnson said. "It has been about 5 years in the making. To actually see something and for them to come in and donate I could not be more grateful. For our kids down here to experience something this high quality, its awesome."
The excitement around their new facility has the Criminals ready to work everyday.
"It feels so different," Ruelas said. "Everybody is engaged now. There is no more sitting around. We have this little area for defense. We have the bullpens going. Everybody is doing something."
"The main thing is seeing these kids with big smiles on their faces and coming out here every single day," Johnson said. "Its like wow this is high quality and they feel like big leaguers."
Last season, the Criminals rallied off 13 straight victories to clinch a playoff berth and they have carried that positive momentum into the offseason. All seven current seniors are committed to play in college. One of those seniors, Kevin Garcia, earned a $10,000 scholarship at a recent tournament.
"It's really meaningful because you get to see kids experience life and new places and new things," Johnson said. "Then they get to come back with degrees in their hand. It's the little things like that, that make coaching well worth it. And putting together stuff like this so they are able to do that."
Yuma will play in a few more preseason tournament to prepare for the 2025 season which is set to tip off in early March.
