Ceres Youth Baseball & Softball Organization staged its closing ceremony for the 2023 recreational campaign at 6 p.m. on June 13 at the George Costa Ball Field Complex.

“We had a good turnout,” said Daniel Guzman, public relations coordinator. “All of our teams were represented. All of the kids had fun.”

More than 600 boys and girls signed up for the organization’s 45th season.

The league was comprised of 49 teams, including 36 baseball and 13 softball.

There were six divisions for baseball players: 5&under, 7&under, 8&under, 10&under, 12&under and 15&under.

There were four divisions for softball players: 6&under, 8&under, 10&under and 13&under.

“Overall, it was a really successful year,” Guzman said. “We’ve seen an uptick in our numbers as we navigate away from COVID.”

CYBSO had a registration fee of up to $150 per player.

“We try to keep it affordable,” Guzman said. “We look for avenues to keep our cost down. We do a multi-sibling discount. The registration fee for the third child is $20 off the initial registration fee. We also offer a fundraising option. They’d fundraise $40. That covers the difference.”

Baseball games were played on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Softball was played on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

“We re-incorporated our playoff system for our 9-10 age groups and up,” Guzman said.

Jacob Mendoza suited up for the Ceres A’s 5-and-under t-ball team.

“It was a great experience,” father Jesse Mendoza said. “I’m very happy with the coaching. They showed patience and care towards the kids. They taught them the game and let them know to have fun.”

“I enjoyed seeing Jacob’s personality come out,” he added. “He was super shy at first. He wanted me to be by his side. Towards the middle of the season, I was able to stay on the sidelines. He had so much fun with his teammates. I’m super proud of him. We definitely want to sign him up again in the future.”

CYBSO’s opening ceremony was held on April 15.

Adrian Magdaleno threw out the first pitch for baseball in memory of Joe Carrillo, who passed away earlier this year.

Carrillo’s wife Keri and daughter Cristina were in attendance.

Carrillo was affiliated with CYBSO for 20-plus years.

“I played for coach Joe my last year,” Guzman said. “He was really caring. If you were having a bad day, he’d check to see how you were doing. He was a standup guy. He helped shape this league into the family-friendly environment it is today.”

John Haarsma threw out the first pitch for softball.

“We wanted to give him recognition,” Guzman said. “He was a long-standing staple of CYBS as well.”

Former CYBSO player Nicole “Sis” Bates donated Adidas cleats to the organization.

Bates, a 2016 Ceres High grad/three-time All-American middle infielder at the University of Washington and Athletes Unlimited professional player, was named to the U.S. Women’s National Softball Team’s WBSC World Cup roster on April. 

“She’s giving back to the community she grew up in,” Guzman said. “A lot of kids in this area look up to her.”

CYBSO’s board consisted of 10 people: Guzman (Umpire in Charge Baseball-Softball/Public Relations Coordinator), Gerardo Hernandez (President), David Rubio (Vice President-Baseball), Nikole Ferrel (Vice President-Softball), Sierra De Leon (Secretary), Gina Nilsson (Treasurer), Ralph Valencia (Sponsor Coordinator), Melissa Baldwin (Registration Coordinator), Miko Alcaraz (Uniform Coordinator) and Roseanna Quiroga (Fundraiser Coordinator).

Three years removed from having its season canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Ceres Youth Baseball & Softball League has returned to a long-desired sense of normalcy.

The organization had an enrollment size of 550 during the 2021 COVID-shortened campaign.

“We have a very, family-friendly environment,” Guzman said. “We try to make it as welcoming as possible. We try to keep it fun for the kids.”