Effective March 12, 2020, the Mountain West suspended all spring sports competitions because of COVID-19 concerns. San Jose State baseball senior Troy Viola was one of countless SJSU student athletes to voice thoughts.
By Troy Viola
I gave my life to baseball. Every hour and every second of the day I spent wondering how I could get better, how I could be the best baseball player possible. Waking up at 4 a.m. every morning to ensure I was up working out before my opponents. Hours and hours and hours of practice I put in working on my craft and sharpening my skills. All this time and effort I exerted to make my dream of playing professional baseball a reality and in hopes of getting Spartan baseball their first MW championship in a long time … all just to have my senior year ripped out of my hands, It’s devastating. I won’t let this be the end for me. I’ll decide when I’m ready to walk away and I don’t see that happening anytime soon. I still have a lot left in the tank. My future still holds baseball, the question is where now? All I can say is that I hope all the seniors get back the year of eligibility they deserve. No one put in countless years of hard work just to be robbed of their final collegiate season. As for the seniors that have aspirations of playing professionally, that’s a whole year of exposure that is taken from them. Whether it’s tryouts or some kind of all-star game, something must be done so these seniors can showcase their skills in front of professional teams. The whole situation happened so fast and has devastated athletes across the entire country. I just hope the right thing is done and all the senior athletes who aren’t ready to be done get the opportunity to play the final year that they deserve.
The NCAA released a statement on March 13 promising seniors who participated in spring sports extended eligibility.