The Charlotte Observer du lieu suivant : Charlotte, North Carolina • B1

FRIDAY JUNE 5 2020 1BFACEBOOK.COM/THECHARLOTTEOBSERVER TWITTER.COM/THEOBSERVERSATURDAY JUNE 6 2020 Sports SOUTH CAROLINAFOOTBALL AND THEDISAPPEARING TURNOVERS 8B INSIDE The Charlotte sea- son is over, and they will go nearly nine months between regular-season games. The plan to restart its season, approved by owners Thursday, did not include eight of 30 teams, the Hornets among them. Those teams were all more than six games out of eighth place in either confer- ence, the cutoff the league set for the restart, beginning July 31 in suburban Orlando, Fla. The Hornets will go from March 11 until early December without playing a regular-season game. The NBA plans to begin the 2020-21 season Dec.

1, about six weeks later than typ- ical for the NBA schedule. The Hornets issued a state- ment Thursday, saying the fran- chise is disappointed not to be able to complete the season, but and support the WHAT IT MEANS FOR HORNETS AThey finish 23-42 the eighth-worst winning percent- age in the NBA this season. Based on NBA an- nouncement, that will translate to the draft-lottery odds: They will have a chance of receiving the No. 1 pick and slightly better odds ofJOHN AMIS AP Guard Terry Rozier and the rest of the Charlotte Hornets finish 23-42 the eighth-worst winning percentage in the NBA this season. season over after excluded from NBA restart BY RICK BONNELL SEE NBA, 2B NASCAR announced Thurs- day the next installment of re- turn events for its 2020 season.

The latest Cup Series schedule includes the All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which has been moved to Wednesday, July 15. The race was previously scheduled for May 16 but was postponed after the coronavirus pandemic forced NASCAR into a two-month pause in March. Previously, the sport had an- nounced an updated schedule that lasted through late-June. After completing its first two weeks of return events, which included a fanless Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR has now outlined races across multiple series Cup, Xfinity, Truck and ARCA Menards at Pocono, Indi- anapolis, Kentucky, Charlotte, Texas, Kansas and New Hamp- shire through Aug. 2.

modified event procedures and protocols have been finalized in accordance with public health officials, medical experts and local, state and federal NASCAR said in a statement. national series dates will be announced at a later NASCAR set a date for fans to return to the track and said it will only provide access to personnel essential to the competition as it works with officials to determine if and when it can slowly integrate fans back to select events. But Greg Walter, executive vice president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, suggested the possibility of a crowd witnessing the All-Star Race in person. will work hard with our state and local officials to ex- plore what options are available, if any, to have this race enjoyed by fans in Walter said in a statement. fans at the track is part of who we are, but we want to do so in a way that everyone feels com- fortable with given current health Last week, president of Speedway Motorports Mar- cus Smith, said he thinks NAS- CAR be the first major sport with fans back in attend- Speedway Motorsports owns and operates Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as Kentucky Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Smith said that he put a timeline on fan return, but that the speedways are working on protocols and will have something ready rather than think be in a place where, one, the state regulations allow Smith said. two, where the large outdoor facility All-Star race at Charlotte is in July on updated schedule BY ALEX ANDREJEV NASCAR SEE SCHEDULE, 2B MATTHEWS James Hobbs stepped into the box Tuesday for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic brought an early end to his baseball career at Myers Park. Nearly three months had passed since the last time Hobbs had played in March, and he had to take some time to adjust to the first pitcher he faced. first at-bat was kind of weird because I seen live pitching in a Hobbs said. other than that, it was pretty Hobbs was offered the chance to play with his high school teammates one last time as part of the Charlotte Area Varsity High School League, a six-team league that gives a glimpse of what the new nor- mal looks like for amateur sports.

Players allowed to sit in dugouts and lingered behind nets next to the field. Guide- lines surrounding Phase 2 of North reopening plan prohibit more than 25 people in the stands at Arthur Goodman Park; fewer than 10 fans showed. There was a sense of normal- cy. Teams played the standard seven innings and players brought the same level of ex- citement as any baseball game, as a beautiful and a team rang from the sidelines. need a lot of fans, and they need a lot of said Chris Manri- quez, Carmel Christian head baseball coach who orga- nized the league.

just want to come out and play The goal of the league is two-fold: Give seniors the chance to play out their final season, and allow underclass- men an opportunity to be seen by college scouts. Games are streamed on Twitch for college recruiters to see unable to watch live because of the recruiting dead period, which runs until June 30). Man- riquez said Wake Technical Community College, NC State, UNC Charlotte and Queens University of Charlotte have expressed interest in the league. Manriquez, alongside Rick Suarez and Tripp Roakes, start- ed outlining plans for the league as soon as a high school baseball cancelation became a possibility amid the pandemic. When the N.C.

Independent Schools Athletic Association and the N.C. High School Ath- letic Association canceled spring sports in March, the three pushed to move their offseason baseball concept forward. Securing a venue was a due to coronavirus- related closures and concerns, Manriquez said, and he had to work around the unavailability of public high school fields. He ended up making arrangements with Matthews Athletic and Recreation Association to play games at Arthur Goodman Park and at Southlake Christian Academy in Huntersville. The league split its 21-game regular season schedule and postseason plans across both parks to play midweek games through June and early July.

organizers going to take no for an Manriquez said. were a lot of hoops to jump through and things to organize so quick- ly because nothing like this has ever been Manriquez, who reached out to about 15 area high schools for interested players, said some that wanted to participate but chose not to since the official teams allowed to play on campus. Manriquez said about 100 play- ers from 12 high schools have are participating in the league. JONATHAN AGUALLO From left, Corey Avant, Matt Kenney and Ethan Zuleuta are three of 100 players participating in a new baseball league this summer designed to let high school players finish out their 2020 seasons that were shortened by the coronavirus pandemic. New league brings back high school baseball in Charlotte BY AUGUSTA STONE SEE NEW LEAGUE, 2B JONATHAN AGUALLO Eli Shenise, right, drives in a run at the Senior Baseball Showcase..