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CEBA has first positive test for COVID-19

The Connecticut Elite Baseball Association has reported their first known positive case of COVID-19 and two teams from Hamden had their games cancelled this weekend for health and safety reasons, the league reported on their website on Tuesday.

The league was notified on Saturday that an assistant coach with the Hamden Under-17 team tested for positive for COVID-19. He wasn’t showing any symptoms but the coach was tested at his workplace where employees routinely get tested each week.

Hamden shut down their U-17 and U-19 teams and notified league officials, who cancelled any weekend games involving the two Hamden squads.

Anyone who either directly played Hamden, or who played anyone who played Hamden after a certain date was notified including umpires, the league said in their statement. The league said they don’t know of anyone else (player or coach) who has tested positive at this time.

The CEBA was formed to give players an opportunity to play summer baseball following the cancellation of the spring athletic season for high schools and colleges across the country and the cancellation of the American Legion baseball season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hamden plays in Division II, one of the five regional leagues in the CEBA. Avon and Simsbury play in Division I and won’t play a team from another division unless they make the playoffs at the end of the month.

As of Monday morning, every team in Division II, including Hamden, was cleared to continue practicing and play games. Two of Hamden’s U-17 coaches will be self-quarantining and won’t rejoin their team until they complete the league’s health and safety protocols.

In their statement, the league reminded players and coaches review the health and safety protocols set up to allow the league to operate, prioritize safety and not take this opportunity to play baseball lightly.

This was first published on Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

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