The crack of the bat and the pop of the leather were welcomed sounds at Bill Gray Legion Stadium at Champion Car Wash Field Monday as invite-only tryouts began for Roseburg Dr. Stewart’s.

“I’m excited to get back out here and play some of those games we missed (this spring),” said returning middle infielder Jacob Luther, who graduated from Umpqua Valley Christian in 2019 and plays for Umpqua Community College.

The Docs won’t be playing under the guidance of the American Legion national organization this year, but coach Jeremiah Robbins is determined to give Douglas County high school standouts the chance to get on the field in 2020.

“We have a strong belief that this is something that these kids need in their lives and it’s going to help them down the road,” said Robbins. “Our motto here and what we’re doing, we’re building human beings and if you miss out on that, I think it sets you behind. We’re excited about it. I think it’s going to be something that’s very fun for these kids this summer.”

Robbins says this season will be strictly for developmental purposes, with no state tournament or other championships on the line.

He has a list of about 32 players that will workout for a spot on the 20-man roster. The list has been broken down into position groups and players are scheduled for one hour sessions each day this week.

The groups are limited to seven or eight players and Robbins says the team is taking all necessary precautions to protect player safety. Coaches have gone from checking digital readouts on radar guns to monitoring the numbers on a digital thermometer.

Players answer screening questions as they enter the stadium, equipment is sanitized between uses and players are keeping their distance from each other.

“It’s just something we have to do,” said Luke Van Norman, a graduating senior at Roseburg High School. “For us to be able to be out on this field we have to go through all of that, so it’s better than nothing.”

Robbins hopes to move towards larger team practices once the county reaches Phase 2 of Gov. Kate Brown’s reopening process. Friday, June 5 is the earliest date that Douglas County could move into Phase 2, per the state’s guidelines.

The Docs will need at least two weeks of practice before beginning competition, according to Robbins.

“Right now, we need this practice time,” Robbins explained. “Watching the kids (Monday), they’re pretty rough.”

Robbins has been in contact with coaches from around the state, working on a schedule of 25-30 games. Fellow Southern Oregon Area 4 Legion programs in Medford, Grants Pass, Klamath Falls and Eugene have confirmed to Robbins their intent to field teams this summer.

Robbins says the best case scenario would have the Docs beginning a makeshift season around June 26 with a tournament hosted at Champion Carwash Field. He hopes to have a published schedule in the coming weeks.

Aside from the Dr. Stewart’s team, Robbins has also been in contact with coaches from around the county in hopes of creating a league for local high school teams to compete against each other this summer. Coaches from Roseburg, South Umpqua, Douglas, Sutherlin, Glide, Oakland, Umpqua Valley Christian, North Douglas and Yoncalla have all expressed interest.

Details on the league are still being finalized.