The South Florida Collegiate Baseball League is set to begin the 2020 season on June 12. This comes after Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis stated in a press conference on May 22 that youth programs such as organized sports are allowed to resume play.

This is a result of the continued effort to reopen parts of Florida while still trying to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Throughout the season, the SFCBL will be taking steps to stop the spread of the virus with the use of masks and social distancing in the dugouts, bullpens and pressbox. Players, coaches and staff will be required to stay six feet apart from one another in addition to wearing masks if they are not on the playing field.

In addition to masks and social distancing, baseballs will be sanitized between innings with hospital grade sanitizer, along with the ban of hand shakes and other possibly high-risk celebrations. Teams have been practicing for the past few weeks in preparation for the start of the new season, many of the players haven’t had the opportunity to play or practice after the NCAA and other high school leagues stopped all operations in mid-March. They will continue preparing for the start of the season during the next two weeks.

Opening night will feature three games: Boynton Beach Buccaneers vs Palm Beach Xtreme at the Santaluces Sports Complex (6 pm), Palm Beach Diamond Ducks vs Pompano Beach Clippers at Pompano Beach Park (7 pm) and Ft. Lauderdale Knights vs Delray Beach Lightning at Little Fenway (7 pm). The season will continue with all teams playing a 40-game schedule ending on July 30 with playoffs beginning the day after.