COVID-19 has been a catastrophe for college sports teams and has led to an abnormal recruiting process for players and coaches.

The California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) was forced to cut the baseball season short in March which left players nervous on how to showcase their talents to college scouts.

“With COVID-19 ending my season at JC (junior college) at the halfway point, recruiting made me nervous because I had just started reaching out to schools of my interest to see if any coach was interested,” said Jordan Mello, a third-year transfer student from Monterey Peninsula College.

“That’s when Coach Taylor reached out to my JC coach, which was a huge relief because a school I showed interest in showed interest back,” Mello said. “I talked it through with my coach and parents and called Coach Taylor a couple of days later to accept the offer.”  

Mello was also contacted by coaches from Sacramento State and the University of Northern Colorado. In the end, Chico State was the perfect fit.

“It was a good offer and a school I have always had interest in,” Mello said. “After talking to Coach Taylor I knew it was the best fit for me athletically and academically.”

The Chico State baseball team hopes to practice together soon, but unfortunately there is no timeframe for when in-person practices can start to be held.  

“For now, my roommates and I have been practicing, lifting and conditioning on our own,” Mello said. “We brought our own sets of weights and turned our back patio into a home gym. I hear other players are doing the same.”

Mello’s roommates and Chico State teammates, Joseph Hayden and Micah Wallette, are also third-year transfer students.

“Usually I would be on the field right now throwing and hitting,” said Joseph Hayden, former player for American River College. “Not being able to play fall baseball has affected my ability to get the work in. I have been throwing, hitting and weight lifting when I can, but this pandemic is a real bummer for athletes.”

Hayden’s decision to sign with Chico State hit close to home.

“My parents met at Chico State and my dad played football there back in 1992 and 1993. Chico State felt like home,” Hayden said.

Recruiting was very limited for transfer student, Micah Wallette from Golden West College.

“Schools who wanted me were pulling back because kids were starting to go back to community college for another year,” said Wallette. “I was very lucky to have Chico State get me because it’s been everything I wanted college to be like so far, considering the circumstances.”

Wallette spoke to the head coach at USC and had committed to CSU, North Ridge before COVID-19 began to affect the sports world..

“They called me and said they didn’t need any more pitching,” Wallette said.

Wallette is thrilled with his decision to attend Chico State.

“The whole atmosphere itself sold it for me,” Wallette said. “I felt comfortable the moment I entered Chico. The winning baseball program was also very important to me.”

Players are more than ready to reunite with their team on the diamond and practice when guidelines permit. 

Nick Despotakis can be reached at orionmanagingeditor.com or @nick__despo on Twitter.