Summer ballMeeting new friends, continuing to build upon progress made during the spring collegiate season, playing the game you love every single day.

All of those things are what summer ball was for DeAngelo Giles, Austin Murr and Jose Torres, but also a little more than that. It gave these guys a sense of normalcy to their lives in the middle of a global pandemic.

On March 12, the 2020 baseball season was shut down due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Only 17 games were played in the shortened campaign, which left just more than 10 months of an offseason from the last game played in the spring until Opening Day in 2021.

Many #Pack9 players had summer ball arrangements set up, but either opted out or were left without a team to play for when leagues across the nation canceled their seasons. Fortunately for these three, they were able to find the right situation that allowed them to gain valuable experience.

Murr, who played for the La Crosse Loggers in La Crosse, Wis., capitalized on the opportunity to get back out on the field. In the short period of time that he played with the Loggers, the first baseman slashed .293/.379/.400. He tallied 22 hits, which ranks third on his team through 37 games, while the team-leading eight doubles he racked up are tied for the third-most among all Northwoods League players.

The rising senior had to finish his summer ball season early to get back to Raleigh and move out of his apartment at the time.

"It's a long offseason, so to have only 17 games and then just not play for 10 months, I wanted to get out there and do something. To go out there, get 20 more games under my belt and pretty much double the length of my season before another six-month offseason, it was what I needed. It was just great to get back out there and compete against someone else."

For Giles and Torres, who are now headed into their sophomore year, their collegiate experience is minimal at this point. Playing with their respective teams allowed the two to face strong competition like they'll go against in seasons to come with the Wolfpack, all while gaining confidence.

Giles stayed close to home and played with the High Point-Thomasville HiToms (Coastal Plain League) in Thomasville, N.C., while Torres ventured to Amarillo, Texas to play with the Amarillo Sod Squad (Texas Collegiate League). Both were with their teams for roughly a month.

"The summer definitely helped with becoming more confident in myself and learning that I can compete with anyone," said Giles. "We faced a lot of good arms, so seeing strong pitching helped me build confidence and know that I can help my team going into next season. I want to get to the point where I'm comfortable seeing the best of the best and having confidence in the box every time because I've seen it before."

"For me, this summer was about building confidence," explained Torres. "The more confident I am, the better I am as a player. Being able to play against really good competition and learn how to move onto the next game if something may have not gone my way the day before was really beneficial for me.

"At first, I wasn't going to play after The Cape (Cod Baseball League) canceled its season, but then I decided that the competition was probably going to be really good and that I needed to improve at the plate. It all worked out because it helped me gain that confidence I needed."

The decision certainly paid off for both. In the 25 at bats he saw with the HiToms, Giles batted .240 and drove in nine runs with six hits, including a pair of doubles and two home runs. Torres led the Sod Squad in runs scored (26), runs batted in (26) and doubles (8), and finished second on the team in hits (31). He also finished among the top six of the Texas Collegiate League in those categories.

Amidst all of the regulations like face coverings and social distancing put in place to allow for a safe game day environment, fans in the stands was one thing that was not done away with. Even though the stadiums were at a reduced capacity, it still helped to create the atmosphere that makes baseball so fun.

"I was only two hours from home, so my parents were able to come to a bunch of games," said Murr. "My dad might have been more excited than I was about summer ball because he finally had something to do after sitting around for four months.

"Aside from less people in the stands, nothing was too different from a normal game day."

"Once the game starts it's all the same, but there's just something different about fans cheering when someone hits a home run," added Giles.

Even though all three are ready to get back to practicing with their #Pack9 family, each managed to take away something in their short summer ball season.

"I'm glad I decided to go to Texas. I didn't know anyone beforehand, but I met some really great guys that I'll definitely keep in touch with," said Torres.

"Even though I was excited to see everyone on campus again, it was a really fun experience," mentioned Giles. "We had a good team, and it was great to learn things on and off the field from my teammates to help better myself."

"Every coach has a different philosophy. Even though the coaches in summer ball help you focus on what your college team wants you to do, it's nice to gain more knowledge and learn different ways to play the game," added Murr.