Cedar Grove-Belgium youth get back to baseball

The season started later than scheduled due to the coronavirus, but Cedar Grove Belgium Junior Little League, comprised of third and fourth-graders, began with a bang last Thursday at Heritage Park in Belgium. Tied at 1-1, the game against Sheboygan went into extra innings. With a runner on second base, Austin Hopeman clocked a ball to the home run fence. The umpire declared it a homer, and Cedar Grove-Belgium won, 3-1. T.J. Hopeman (left photo) took a swing at a pitch. Austin Hopeman (top right) wound up for a pitch and Griffin Posthuma (right) looked to fire to first base. To limit the spread of germs, teams tip their caps to one another at the end of games instead of shaking hands; players sit on bleachers instead of dugouts to socially distance; and no high-fives are given. “It’s all small changes to help keep the players and coaches safe, but well worth it when you see the smiles and laughs of the kids finally getting out to play with their friends,” Cedar Grove Belgium Athletic Association Vice President Pat Wester said.                                      Photos by Sam Arendt