News of another canceled season could have been another disappointment for baseball players across the area.

When teams were informed Saturday there would be no Lehigh Valley Jr. or Sr. Connie Mack season this summer, it marked the latest in a long list of disappointing developments throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Although it wasn’t the news we wanted, it was kind of expected,” said Matt Solt, head coach of Palmerton’s Sr. Connie Mack team.

It wasn’t the update Solt was hoping for. But it was one he and several other teams were prepared to handle.

“We actually have, right now, 16 games lined up to play,” said Solt. “They will be outside of the league; they’re just going to be scrimmages. We’re just doing whatever we can to get them on the field.”

Solt hopes to have the schedule, which will likely feature home and away contests for each team, begin the week after the Fourth of July holiday and end the week of Aug. 10 in an effort to avoid conflicts with the fall sports season.

The proposed number of games is only two less than the team would have played during a regular season (18).

Solt and his fellow coaches are proving where there’s a will, there’s a way.

While Solt knew there might not be a season, he made sure his players stayed ready, with Palmerton returning to organized practice when Carbon County transitioned into the green phase in Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan on June 12.

“It was really nice to get the kids back out there,” said Solt, who noted there were 15 kids at practice a week ago. “We missed entire seasons for all the age groups, and it was really hard to not be on the field. Baseball is a normal part of many of these kids’ lives during the spring and summer, so it’s nice to see some of that come back.

“Scrimmages have been amazingly easy to get lined up. Many organizations appear to be feeling the same way about just getting kids on the field.”

With the team using the Palmerton High School baseball field, Solt, who also assists with the Jr. Connie Mack team, has taken the necessary precautions to get the players back on the field safely.

“We came up with a plan based on CDC guidelines and provided that plan to the parents and school,” he said. “We had a parents meeting to cover the plan and we had them sign new waivers from our insurance company.

“Every practice I take the players and coaches temperatures to make sure nobody has a fever over 100.4 (CDC bench mark).”

All Little League presidents from Carbon County, along with West End Little League, Tamaqua Little League and Tri County Little League took part in a Zoom call with State Rep. Doyle Heffley two weeks ago to be sure they were on the right path.

“That was extremely important to know where we were going, were we headed in the right direction to safely get the kids back on the field,” said Mike Netznik Jr., the Towamensing Little League Association President and a volunteer assistant with Palmerton’s Connie Mack team.

“We had to make sure we were doing everything (properly) with the dugouts, the players, the stands, and all of that to make sure we were doing everything right.”

Though the start of their scrimmage schedule is still a few weeks away, Palmerton found a willing partner in a Panther Valley Schuylkill Teener League team on Monday night.

“I’m just thrilled that Mike Netznik reached out and asked if we were interested in a scrimmage,” said Panther Valley coach Tim Goida. “With this group of kids, they’re always ready to play. It was great that they invited us down.”

Goida’s group will have a season, albeit condensed, starting this weekend.

Whether it counts in the standings or not, the priorities and preparation for parents, coaches and players remains the same.

“The big thing is kids and parents still need to be vigilant about the risk of spreading the virus and getting sick,” said Solt. “We certainly don’t think baseball is more important than anyone’s health, but being outside and with their friends, help contribute to the overall health of the players. Parents that are bringing their kids to practices and games (when they start), have weighed the risks for what is best for each of their own families.

“We have told the parents that it is extremely important to remove their children if they feel unsafe or concerned. It doesn’t look like this virus is going away any time soon. We are doing our part to be as safe as possible in regards to the virus, while offering some much needed baseball to the kids in our community who have been waiting since March to get on the field.”