WARDEN — Ryan Arredondo, a senior baseball player at Warden High School, was pretty optimistic about his team’s chances this season.

The Cougars returned to the Class 1A state tournament in 2019, losing to eventual state champion University Prep in the first round. Arredondo and a core group of Cougars were poised to make a run deep into May before measures to combat the novel coronavirus forced schools to be closed and athletic seasons to be canceled.

“We were really looking forward to improving from last year, having a great season last year making it to the state tournament, and we were looking to do even bigger and better things this year,” he said. “We had a great group of guys, great camaraderie, all around the board. We were looking to have a shot at that title.”

Despite having his senior season canceled, Arredondo’s athletic career isn’t over. Warden’s ace on the mound recently announced his commitment to University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Arredondo, a First Team All-League selection in the South Central Athletic Conference East all three years he was able to play, thanked his parents and coaches on social media.

“They have all given me unlimited opportunities and taught me so much more about baseball than I could have ever imagined,” Arredondo said in his post. “This was a team effort and I am so blessed to have this team in my corner. I am so thankful for all of you.”

In the meantime, Arredondo has been trying to incorporate game situations into his workouts, but admitted the intensity of a live game was difficult to duplicate. Arredondo added that he’s fortunate to have a good group of guys he’s been working out with, although he wishes he were doing it with the friends he’s been playing with for the past 10 to 12 years.

This season, University of the Pacific was able to play through March 11 and compile an 8-9 record. The Tigers finished 23-26 in their last full season in 2019.

“It’s going to be a whole restart, a whole reboot of culture shock, everything,” Arredondo said. “Warden will always be instilled in me. I’ll always rep Warden from my chest, everything about this town. The people are great to me, they’re great in general. My buddies are great people, and who I surround myself with in this town, they’re just great human beings. It really does take a village to raise a child, and thats what it’s done here.”