For the first time since the 1970s Ludlow High School will not field a freshman baseball team because only 10 players tried out, and of these 10 players only five were academically eligible to play.

According to Coach Martin Fanning, not having a freshmen team will result in less playing time for players on the JV and Varsity teams. Also, there will be more competition for positions because those teams will carry more players. Eligible freshmen will play on JV this season.

“Right now there are 35 players on varsity and junior varsity and we may get some players back after the grades come out, but, of course, we may lose a few others,” said Fanning.

To be ineligible to play a sport, a student would have to fail one or more subjects. The waiver is used to allow a student to play a sport if they failed a class, and can be used once in your four years of high school.  

“If our students would focus on their school work they would earn far more scholarship money in academics than sports,” said Fanning.